Extreme Weather

"Severe damage and flooding" forced a section of Copper Cove Drive in Copperopolis to be shut down, according to county road officials.

Officials in Tuolumne County are seeking information from the public about damages witnessed during last week’s various storm systems. There was heavy rain last week, snow, and even a tornado. 

The type of tornado that touched down in the Mother Lode over the weekend was something much more likely in the Midwest than on the West Coast.

Yosemite National Park also has a new potential reopening date.

There are some power outages scattered around the Mother Lode this morning.

The Sonora Police Department reports that Stockton Street in Sonora is reduced to a single traffic lane due to the “instability of the hillside.”

Late Saturday afternoon several supercell thunderstorms produced heavy hail throughout much of Tuolumne County, and parts of Calaveras County.

Damage assessment is taking place today following the heavy rain, hail and winds on Saturday.

A major storm system this afternoon brought heavy hail, a tornado and flooding across the Mother Lode.

Stanislaus National Forest officials are once again advising visitors not to make the trek to Pinecrest Lake in Tuolumne County for a second weekend.

This weekend’s Mother Lode Views will feature Tuolumne County Office of Emergency Services Coordinator Dore Bietz.

There are several traffic hazards this morning in the Mother Lode.

It is for those whose homes have been impacted by the heavy snow and flooding rains, but it is not a shelter.

Within hours of California’s request, the White House approved a Presidential Emergency Declaration authorizing federal assistance to several impacted counties, including the Mother Lode.

Park officials now say it will remain closed through Thursday or possibly longer.