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A powerful storm rolled into the Bay Area on Wednesday, bringing with it widespread flooding, damaging winds and two deaths.

Dozens of flights were canceled or delayed. Evacuation orders were issued. Schools, parks and roads were closed. And Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency, as officials scrambled to help the homeless across the Bay Area.

Rain, while milder in the early morning, picked up by the evening, and is expected to continue Thursday. The National Weather Service said snow will be heavy in the Sierra Nevada with 3 inches predicted to fall per hour above 5,000 feet.

Loma Prieta received 3.39 inches of rain in a 24-hour period ending at 5 a.m. Thursday. Mt. Umunhum received 3.31 inches; Moutain View received about 1.6 inches; San Francisco International Airport 1.64 inches; Oakland International Airport 1.33 inches; Dublin 1.24 inches; and San Jose 0.98 inches.

Follow below and refresh this page for live updates:

Tree blocking Caltrain tracks, 6:25 a.m.

The northbound and southbound Caltrain railroad tracks near the Burlingame Avenue station were blocked Thursday after a large tree fell on them, agency officials said. Officials closed the railraod crossing at California Drive and North Lane to all vehicular and pedestrian traffic until further notice.

Toddler death in Sonoma County, 6:05 a.m.

A toddler died in the Sonoma County town of Occidental on Wednesday night after a tree fell into a home, according to news reports by ABC7 and KTVU, citing Sonoma County officials.

According to the stations, the parents of the toddler both were home when the tree fell. Fire officials tried to revived the toddler without success.

Hydroplaning fatal crash in Fairfield, 6 a.m.

A 19-year-old woman did in a crash Wednesday morning in Fairfield, when her her vehicle hydroplaned on a standing patch of water on eastbound Vanden Road about 8:40 a.m., police said. The woman lost control of the vehicle and slammed into a pole.

According to police, the woman was driving too fast for the conditions on the road, causing the crash.

Power outages early Thursday, 5:45 a.m.

According to Pacific Gas & Electric, 80,097 Bay Area customers were without power at 5:45 a.m. Thursday, about 19,000 fewer than were affected at 10:30 p.m.

The area most affected was The Peninsula, where 34,754 were people were waiting for a return of power. Two separate power outages were responsible for at least 10,000 of those outages, according to the utility.

Elsewhere around the region, 22,770 customers in the North Bay were without power, as were 11,920 customers in the South Bay, 7,703 in the East Bay and 2,950 in San Francisco.

South Bay freeway closed, 5:20 a.m.

The California Department of Transportation was implementing a closure on northbound Interstate 280 after a giant tree fell, blocking two lanes around a blind curve. The tree came down just south of the Page Mill Road exit in Los Altos.

There was no estimate for when the freeway would be open Thursday,

Flash flood warnings, 4:45 a.m.

The weather service extended a flash flood warning for San Benito County until noon, but many other warnings ranging from Contra Costa County to Santa Cruz County expired and were not extended.

Santa Clara County issues evacuation warnings, 11:45 p.m.:

Citing adverse weather conditions and risks to general public safety and property, Santa Clara County on Wednesday night issued evacuation warnings to residents living in the Pacheco Pass River Basin and watershed areas of the Uvas Reservoir.

The river basin includes El Toro Road south of Highway 152 to Bloomfield Avenue and Lovers Lane between Shore Road and Highway 152. In the reservoir watershed, the evacuation warning applies to residents living in the Thousand Trails and Uvas Pines RV parks, south of Sycamore Drive and Watsonville Road, south of Lions Peak, south of Day Road and Geri Lane, Watsonville and Highway 152.

“Gather your family members, pets, personal items, important documents, prescription medication, change of clothes, nonperishable foods, water, extra batteries, flashlights, and phone chargers,” the county said in a statement. “Prepare to evacuate to a safe location.”

NWS warns of possible landspouts on Peninsula, 10:30 p.m.:

A strong thunderstorm was expected to impact parts of northwestern San Mateo and southeastern San Francisco counties late Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.

In a special weather statement, the NWS said landspouts and wind gust up to 55 mph were possible through at least 10:30 p.m.

“Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to localized flooding,” the weather service said. “Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.”

Hundreds of children evacuated from science camp, 10:05 p.m.:

Prior to the storm’s arrival Wednesday in the Santa Cruz Mountains, roughly 200 children were evacuated from a science camp in Boulder Creek, KSBW Action News reported.

According to the station, the children were evacuated due to concerns that the small bridge leading to the camp could potentially collapse into the San Lorenzo River below.

Santa Cruz Metro buses were used to evacuate the children from the camp, KSBW reported.

NWS releases 24-hour precipitation totals, 9:45 p.m.:

The Sonoma County Airport received nearly an inch of rain between 4:30 p.m. Tuesday and 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service, making it one of the wettest spots in the Bay Area.

Other 24-hour precipitation totals included .88 inches in Kentfield, .82 inches in Santa Rosa, .45 inches in San Francisco, .34 inches in Gilroy, .33 inches in Oakland, .32 inches in Concord, .28 inches in Redwood City and .26 inches in Livermore.

South of the Bay Area, the Big Sur remote automatic weather station recorded .81 inches during the same time period.

Oakland schools will be open Thursday, 9:20 p.m.:

The Oakland Unified School District on Wednesday night announced its schools will operate under normal conditions Thursday.

In a message to parents, the district said there were minor problems at several locations, but “schools fared well and will be open to welcome students first thing in the morning Thursday.”

On Wednesday, the district canceled sports and other extracurricular activities, as well as asked families to pick up students from after-school programming early. No further cancellations or closures are expected at this time, according to the district.

“We look forward to having students returning to sports and the other activities they love after school,” the district said. Our after school providers look forward to welcoming students back with their normal operations on Thursday afternoon, as well.”

Santa Clara County declares state of emergency, 9 p.m.:

Santa Clara County on Wednesday proclaimed a local emergency due to the weather conditions and risks to the general public and property, the county said in a statement.

“This emergency declaration allows the county of Santa Clara to take appropriate measures to support the regional emergency response and ensure the safety of those who live and work in our jurisdiction,” said County Executive Jeff Smith. “We continue to work with our partners at Valley Water, our cities, other state and local government agencies, and community-based organizations to protect the public.”

According to the statement, soils are at their saturation point; creeks, streams and rivers are reaching or exceeding flood stage; and low-lying areas are experiencing flooding.

The county urged residents to stay off the roads, creek beds and waterways, and fast moving water.

Ross Creek in San Jose reaches flood monitoring stage, 8:25 p.m.:

As of 7:20 p.m. Wednesday, Ross Creek at Cherry Avenue in San Jose was at flood monitoring stage and rising, according to the Santa Clara Valley Water District. Flood stage is 10 feet, according to the NWS.

SAN JOSE: Ross Creek at Cherry Avenue reached flood monitoring stage and is rising. pic.twitter.com/7x1OsjByhP

— valleywater (@valleywater) January 5, 2023

Gas station collapses in Daly City, 8:15 p.m.:

In Daly City, the storm appeared to play a role in the collapse of a Valero gas station near Callan Boulevard and King Drive. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

Russian River area residents warned to evacuate, 7:45 p.m.:

An evacuation order was issued Wednesday night for residents living near the Russian River and its tributaries from Healdsburg to Jenner, according to the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office.

In a post on its Facebook page, the sheriff’s office said the river is predicted to crest at 33 feet Thursday night and into the early hours of Friday. The river is expected to recede below flood stage by Friday afternoon, but is predicted to flood again at 40 feet Sunday night into Monday.

“For your safety, prepare to leave the areas below the 40-foot flood level along the Russian River,” the sheriff’s office said. “Be sure to take essential items such as medicines with you. If you live above the 40-foot level, your access may be reduced or eliminated due to flood waters.”

A map of the zones under the evacuation warning is available here.

Fallen tree causes BART delay, 7:35 p.m.:

BART reported a major delay on the between the Concord and Pleasant Hill stations due to a fallen tree, which “wedged between the overboard and third rail.” The mess is affecting passengers heading in the directions of Antioch and San Francisco International Airport.

Flood warning issued for Monterey County, 7 p.m.:

The National Weather Service on Wednesday night issued a flood warning for Monterey County. The warning took effect around 5:40 p.m. and will run through 11:45 p.m.

Flooding is expected in areas including Carmel-By-The-Sea, Marina, Monterey, Seaside and Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park.

“Flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations is imminent or occurring,” the county’s Office of Emergency Services said in an advisory.

The office urged motorists to avoid flooded roadways, noting that most flood deaths occur in vehicles.

The NWS also issued a flash flood warning for the Big Sur coast, including the Colorado and Dolan burn scars. The warning will run through 12:15 a.m. Thursday.

Rio del Mar residents ordered to evacuate, 6:30 p.m.:

Rio del Mar sisters-in-law Mary and Maureen Sztenderowicz, both in their 70s, were obeying a mandatory evacuation order issued Wednesday afternoon by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, for low-lying areas of the beachside town just down the coast from Santa Cruz, where Aptos Creek meets the ocean.

“We don’t want to be stuck and not able to get out,” Mary said.

Maureen added, “Health issues are another factor.”

The two planned to stay for a night or two with a relative in Santa Cruz.

But Theresa Hosking, 71, said she planned to ride out the storm from her Rio del Mar home near the beach and Aptos Creek.

“I’m not worried,” said Hosking, who lives with her adopted grandsons, 16 and 17. “If it starts getting bad I only have maybe a quarter of a mile to walk to get out of the flood.”

Hosking said she had her important documents in two storage containers, and if she has to flee with her grandsons, they’ll grab their dog, the containers and her phone.

Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office deputies were posting red evacuation orders outside homes in the Rio del Mar flatlands Wednesday afternoon. “We’re not going to make people leave,” said Deputy Ryan York. Instead, deputies are telling people that if they don’t evacuate, they may not be able to get help in case of emergency, York said.

Of primary concern was Aptos Creek, York said. Although the waterway was not raging Wednesday afternoon, ocean swells and tides — both forecasted to be very high Wednesday night and Thursday morning, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — are expected to surge in, and by blocking outflow of stream water, raise the creek’s level even higher, York said.

–Ethan Baron

Residents head for higher ground in Soquel, 6 p.m.:

Low areas of Soquel, near Santa Cruz, that suffered severe flooding over the weekend, were put under a mandatory evacuation order Wednesday afternoon.

Lori Wilson, a 62-year-old retired art teacher, was heading for higher ground at a friend’s place Wednesday afternoon with her cat, Luna, in the car. Although floodwaters from a raging Soquel Creek had muddied her patio on the weekend, she was more worried about trees falling on her home in what is expected to be a bigger storm Wednesday night and Thursday, she said.

“The trees were really snapping and cracking the other night,” Wilson said.

–Ethan Baron

Fremont opens emergency storm shelter, 5:30 p.m.:

The city of Fremont on Wednesday opened an emergency shelter at Washington High School.

Located at 38442 Fremont Boulevard, the shelter inside the school’s small gymnasium will remain open through Friday, police said in an advisory. Warm meals, beverages and face masks will be supplied.

Service animals and pets are welcome at the shelter. All animals except ADA service animals will be kenneled on-site with food and water, according to the advisory.

For more information, contact Fremont Human Services at 510-574-2050 or [email protected].

Santa Clara County closes roads, 5:15 p.m.:

The following roads in Santa Clara County were closed because of the storm, the county’s Office of Emergency Operations said in a news release late Wednesday afternoon.

• Calaveras Road from Felter Road to the Alameda County line
• Mines Road from Del Puerto Road to the Alameda County line (washouts)
• Sierra Road from Skyview Drive to Felter Road due (slides and storm debris)
• Stevens Canyon Road between Mt. Eden Road and Redwood Gulch Road (downed tree and communication line)
• Mesa Road from Santa Teresa Boulevard to Highway 101 (flooding)
• Gilroy Hot Springs Road at Coyote Reservoir (flooding)
• Bloomfield Avenue between Frazier Lake Road and Highway 152 (flooding)
• Mt. Madonna Road from 1.75 miles east of Redwood Retreat Road to Summit Road in Gilroy.

The office urged drivers to be alert for road closure signs as well as equipment and crews.

Emergency road closure information is available here.

Heavy rain moves into Bay Area, 4:30 p.m.:

Heavy rain entered the Bay Area around 4:20 p.m., according to a radar update shared by the NWS. Roughly an hour later, the agency also shared data showing gusts up to 85 mph in Marin.

Radar Update 4:21 PM – Heavy rain now entering the Bay Area. #cawx. pic.twitter.com/WM7awylGUF

— NWS Bay Area (@NWSBayArea) January 5, 2023

Impressive wind showing up in Marin. Gusts up to 85 mph now (4:10-4:30)! #cawx pic.twitter.com/D2VSUN768s

— NWS Bay Area (@NWSBayArea) January 5, 2023

Check back for updates.