SACRAMENTO — A powerful atmospheric river event in February 2026 delivered record rainfall across Northern and Central California, triggering widespread flooding, mudslides, and evacuations affecting more than 200,000 residents and generating billions of dollars in damage to homes, businesses, and infrastructure.
The event, which meteorologists described as a Category 5 atmospheric river — the highest category on the scale — brought 10 to 18 inches of rain to the Sierra Nevada foothills over a 72-hour period, overwhelming storm drains, rivers, and reservoirs that were already near capacity from earlier winter storms.
Mudslides in the Santa Cruz Mountains and the foothills east of Sacramento destroyed dozens of homes and blocked major highways, isolating some communities for days. The California Department of Transportation reported more than 200 road closures at the peak of the event.
FEMA deployed swift water rescue teams and Urban Search and Rescue task forces to the affected areas, and Gov. Gavin Newsom requested a presidential major disaster declaration within 24 hours of the event. The declaration was approved within 48 hours, making federal assistance available to affected homeowners and local governments.
Restoration contractors in Northern California reported that the scale of the flooding — affecting multiple counties simultaneously — was the most challenging deployment environment since the 2017 Oroville Dam spillway crisis. The RIA's disaster response network coordinated the deployment of out-of-state contractors to supplement local capacity.
