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Wet weather drenched farmers’ market patrons in downtown Mountain View on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024. Photo by Ryan Morgan. 
A pedestrian shields himself from the rain in downtown Mountain View on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024. Photo by Zoe Morgan. 
Water flows around a fallen tree in the bed of Stevens Creek north of Middlefield Road in Mountain View during a heavy rain storm on Sunday morning, Feb. 4. Photo by Kevin Forestieri. 
A pedestrian crosses West Dana Street in downtown Mountain View on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024. Photo by Zoe Morgan.
Update: Around 3:39 p.m. on Sunday, Caltrain reported that a fallen tree was blocking southbound and northbound tracks near San Antonio Station in Mountain View. No service will be running through San Antonio Station for several hours, according to Caltrain.
Heavy rain and strong winds are hitting Mountain View and the surrounding area this weekend as a storm impacts the region.
The National Weather Service issued a flood watch that is set to be in effect through 10 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 5, and a wind advisory until 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 4.
Throughout city, the impacts of the storm were evident in various locations. At the corner of El Camino Real and Castro Street, the traffic lights in the center median to turn left onto Castro in both directions were on the ground on Sunday morning. The overhead lights were still operating.
The sustained rainfall significantly raised water levels in Stevens Creek as of Sunday morning, with heavy rapids flowing at high speeds towards the Bay. There were no signs that the creek was at risk of overflowing from Mercy Street to Middlefield Road, nor that any stretch of the creek bank had eroded or sloughed off. Stevens Creek Trail remained open, with pockets of puddles that made it difficult to traverse for the few people taking a stroll during the storm.
The Mountain View Farmers’ Market continued to operate out of the Caltrain parking lot in downtown Mountain View on Sunday morning, with some customers braving the wet weather to buy fresh fruits and vegetables.
Electricity appeared to largely be on throughout the city as of 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, according to Pacific Gas & Electric’s outage map.
As of 2 p.m. Sunday, power was reportedly out for 1,066 customers in the Rex Manor area due to the weather, according to the PG&E outage map. The outage affected homes in an area bordered by Shoreline Boulevard, Middlefield Road, Farley Street and Wright Avenue. Another outage affecting 1,093 customers in the Blooms Valley area and extending into Los Altos was also reported around the same time, at 2:03 p.m. A third outage on the Mountain View-Sunnyvale border, including an area east of Dale Avenue, was reported at 1:50 p.m. affecting 1,476 customers, according to the map.
Those impacted by power outages can charge devices and use Wi-Fi at four city facilities, according to a city press release:
- Mountain View Public Library (585 Franklin St.): Available 1-5 p.m. on Sunday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday
- Mountain View Community Center (201 S. Rengstorff Ave.): Available 8:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. on Sunday and 8:30 a.m. to 9:15 p.m. on Monday
- Police Services Fire Administration Building lobby (1000 Villa St.): Available 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday. On Sunday, visitors should press the yellow call box button to request entry into the lobby.
- Mountain View Senior Center (266 Escuela Ave.): Available 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday for those age 55 and older.
Around 3:39 p.m., at San Antonio Station in Mountain View, a fallen tree was blocking the train tracks in both directions about 200 feet south of the station. Caltrain personnel were on site, trying to remove the tree and restore train service, but it likely would take several hours, according to Caltrain. The transit agency also said that VTA would honor the tickets of customers who wanted to use its service to continue traveling north or south of San Antonio Station.
Calls for service on Sunday, Feb. 4, included nine calls for wires down, nine medical emergencies, seven traffic collisions, two fire alarms and one call for a stuck elevator, according to the Mountain View Fire Department.
In Palo Alto, a fallen tree prompted the closure of the eastbound lanes of Oregon Expressway at Bryant Street on Sunday morning. The roadway reopened by 10 a.m., according to the Palo Alto Police Department.
Embarcadero Road between Louis Road and Greer Road in Palo Alto was also temporarily shut on Sunday due to a downed electrical line, but reopened at 11:08 a.m., according to the police department.
The public should report downed wires posing a potential hazard by calling 9-1-1, according to the city press release, which noted that all wires should be treated as though they are energized and could shock you.
Fallen trees can be reported to the city’s forestry division by calling 650-903-6273. The office is open on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The public can also call the city’s non-emergency number at 650-903-6344.
Kevin Forestieri contributed to this article.
