SAN FRANCISCO, CA: As a massive storm barreled into the state on Wednesday, bringing high winds and rain that knocked out power and threatened to flood roadways, officials in California ordered evacuations in a high-risk coastal area where mudslides killed 23 people in 2018.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency to allow for a quick response and to assist in the cleanup from another powerful storm that hit just days before. The new storm has already knocked out power to over 76,000 customers in the San Francisco Bay Area and nearly 19,000 more along the Central Coast.

Dozens of flights out of San Francisco were canceled, and schools in one of the city’s suburbs preemptively canceled Thursday classes.

Officials warned people throughout Northern California to stay off the roads.

"This may be one of the most challenging and impactful series of storms to touch down in California," said Nancy Ward, the new director of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. The storm brought howling winds to Northern California on Wednesday evening. It is one of three so-called "atmospheric river storms" in the last week to reach the drought-stricken state. Forecasters say Santa Barbara and Ventura counties are likely to see the most rain.

The first evacuations were ordered for those living in Santa Barbara County. Forecasters say the storm is expected to peak in intensity overnight. Heavy rain forecast for overnight could cause widespread flooding and unleash debris flows.

Among the towns ordered to evacuate was Montecito, where five years ago huge boulders, mud, and debris swept down mountains through the town to the shoreline, killing 23 people and destroying more than 100 homes. The town is home to many celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, Prince Harry, and his wife, Meghan.

Elsewhere, a 45-mile (72 km) stretch of Coast Highway 1 that runs through Big Sur was closed on Wednesday night due to predicted flooding and a rock slide. Further north, a 25-mile (40-kilometer) section of Highway 101 was closed due to several fallen trees.

Authorities urged drivers to stay off the road unless absolutely necessary and sign up for updates from emergency authorities on fallen trees, power lines, and floods to stay up to date.

The storm was forecast to drop up to 10 inches (25.4 centimeters) of rain on an area where the hills have already been saturated. The storms won't be enough to officially end the state's ongoing drought, now entering its fourth year. Most of California is in severe to extreme drought, but officials say they have plenty of room to fill with more water.

The storm comes days after a New Year's Eve downpour led to the evacuation of people in rural Northern California. Still, trees are already stressed from years of limited rain. Now that the ground is suddenly saturated and the winds are heavy, trees could fall. That could cause widespread power outages or create flood hazards.

By Wednesday evening, nine Northern California counties were under flood watches or advisories.

Evacuation orders were in place in Santa Cruz County's Paradise Park along the San Lorenzo River. Residents who fled wildfires in the Santa Cruz Mountains in 2020 were packing their bags. Boulder Creek, Ben Lomond, and Felton were all warned to evacuate. Sonoma County issued an evacuation warning for residents along a stretch of the Russian River.

More than 8,500 sandbags distributed by officials weren't enough to meet demand as forecasters warned of imminent flooding. Insurance broker Robert O'Neill said he lined up to get sandbags for his garage and for a co-worker's home. He planned to leave the office early and head home, where he has backpacks packed with essential items.

"We’re in a big city, so we wouldn’t be stranded too long, but you never know," he said.

The storm also caused damage elsewhere in the United States. In the Midwest, schools were closed this week in Minnesota and western Wisconsin due to ice and heavy snow, and a jet that landed in a blizzard in Minneapolis went off the icy runway. Delta Air Lines said no passengers were injured.

In the South, a possible tornado hit Montgomery, Alabama, early Wednesday, damaging homes, uprooting trees, and overturning vehicles.

In Illinois, an official at the National Weather Service's Chicago office said at least he planned to investigate storm damage Wednesday after six tornadoes struck, the largest number of rare January tornadoes recorded in the state since 1989.