Rain’s Effects Lingering in N. California

SAN JOSE — An overflowing creek near downtown kept scores of people from their homes Monday as storm-related troubles continued to plague Northern California.

But the region was expected to get a break as forecasters predicted an extended dry period beginning midweek.

The swollen Coyote Creek, which runs through San Jose, overflowed its banks late Sunday about a mile south of downtown, forcing about 200 people to evacuate. More than three dozen sought refuge at a nearby Red Cross shelter, where they were expected to remain Monday night.

“The water is receding, so [evacuees] may be able to get back into their homes and get belongings. But they may not want to live there tonight--it may not be safe,” said Lindsey Wolf, a city spokeswoman.

Nearby, road crews cleared a stretch of U.S. 101, which had been submerged beneath flood waters for more than a day. Traffic was traveling normally by midmorning.

An approaching storm expected to hit Monday night was predicted to produce most of its rainfall in Washington, Oregon and extreme Northern California, although its edges were likely to brush as far south as Central California.

“This will be the last in the system [of storms],” said National Weather Service forecaster Dan Klinger. “After that, the long-range model is for little to no precipitation in California for the next six to 10 days.”

Even without more rain, officials were keeping an eye on the San Joaquin River. Runoff from weekend rainfall, combined with releases from reservoirs, was expected to keep that river and its tributaries at high levels.

“We still have situations where reservoirs are at dangerously high levels--our expectation is that the San Joaquin will give us the most headaches in the next couple weeks,” said Jeff Cohen, a spokesman at the state flood control center.

Meanwhile, work crews fanned out along rivers, repairing damaged levees. Along U.S. 50 near Pollock Pines, geologists were beginning to examine a huge landslide that struck Friday, closing the road indefinitely.