A couple hundred feet above the city of Santa Cruz, a small but powerful storm system is bringing sand and mud to the city.
As of Monday morning, a number of structures and vehicles have been submerged and flooded.
The sand and muck from the storm surge is now at a depth of 10 feet deep, according to the California Coastal Protection District.
A lot of the roads that have been inundated have been washed out, including a portion of a major freeway.
Officials say the storm’s current strength is expected to be stronger than the one that hit the coast last week.
“The weather station shows that we’re probably going to have a stronger storm in the next few days,” said CDPD Chief Meteorologist Scott Wood.
“It’s not as big as last week, but it’s not going to be as strong.
We’re probably at a point where it will be more like the last few weeks.”
According to Wood, the storm system could be strengthening over the next 24 hours, with winds of up to 75 mph.
It’s likely to bring sand and debris to areas of the city that were previously uninhabitable, and can be a hazard to people and pets.
The storm is also expected to cause flooding along Highway 1 and Highway 101, according the CDPDs.
The highway is closed due to flooding.
The road is expected open Monday morning.
“We’re expecting a lot of people to be out in the flood waters, so there’s a lot more potential for damage than we’re used to,” Wood said.
“You can have one-time impacts to structures and a couple of vehicles being submerged.
But we don’t want people driving on those roads in the first place.”
The storm has damaged some businesses, including one in the city’s main shopping district, as well as homes and cars.
One man has died in the storm.
Officials are urging people to stay off the roads and to be cautious in the area where the sand is falling.
The CDPDC advises that residents should wash their vehicles thoroughly and wash their hands thoroughly after using the restroom, as the mud can easily become infected.