Multiple Rounds of Rain Headed to the Central Valley

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Your Valentine's Day plans could get dampened this evening as another round of rain is headed our way.

The heaviest rainfall is expected early next week, and northern portions of the valley are expected to get the more intense rain.

Flood advisories are still in effect in parts of Madera County, as the ground remains saturated from previous storms.

"We're still closely monitoring those areas north of Coarsegold for potential debris flow and soil movement. At this point we're still under an evacuation warning," said Sheriff Tyson Pogue with Madera County.

Wednesday night the Central Valley will see the first of three storms to come, rainfall Wednesday into Thursday will be light, but rain totals increase dramatically Monday and Tuesday with some areas projecting over 2 inches of rain.

"I think the one thing that we are seeing this year and last year where we haven't seen previously is just that heavily saturated soil, we've gone through many years of drought," explained Pogue.

With more saturation headed our way, homeowners are encouraged to act now.

"They can sandbag the areas around their property to try to make sure they keep the water or any small debris flow areas, mud and stuff from sliding up against the house," said Pogue.

High winds can cause downed trees and power outages, with the highest elevations expecting to get a fresh 6-12 inches of snow. Something PG&E officials are keeping a close eye on.

And on holidays like today there poses another threat.

"We know a lot of people give mylar balloons, those metallic balloons to each other on Valentine's Day and especially if those are not tethered to wait and people let those go, those can get into power lines," said Jeff Smith, PG&E Spokesperson.

A big concern continues to be burn scar areas from recent fires. Officials say residents who live nearby have become accustomed to the preparations.

"Our mountain residents are usually good at self-sustaining, so keep in good contact with your neighbors, sign up for alerts and be prepared for the upcoming storms," added Pogue.

Mylar balloons are a top concern on holidays like today as they caused 40 power outages in Fresno just last year.

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