Category: US

CNN
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Heavy precipitation and snow melt flooded roads and led to freeway closures and evacuation warnings in Northern California on Saturday, officials said.

At one point, US Highway 101 – one of California’s most famous routes – was closed in both directions in South San Francisco as “water is not receding due to non-stop rainfall & high tides preventing the water to displace,” California Highway Patrol said in an evening update. The freeway reopened later Saturday evening after flood waters receded, CHP said.

Authorities were also working to rescue submerged vehicles from the highway after some had chosen to drive through the closures, the agency said.

The California Department of Transportation also advised of a partial closure of Interstate 80 near the Nevada line midday Saturday “due to multiple spinouts over Donner Summit.” Driving through the mountain pass in the Sierra Nevada range has required tire chains for much of this month due to heavy snowfall.

In Sacramento County and adjacent areas, residents were advised to avoid travel as wind gusts of up to 55 mph toppled trees and covered roads with debris, according to a tweet from the National Weather Service in Sacramento.

A strong storm that brought widespread heavy rain Friday through Saturday, creating a flood threat for much of Northern and Central California, is nearing unprecedented levels.

By Saturday evening, San Francisco was closing in on breaking the city’s record for single wettest day ever.

“Downtown San Francisco is now at 5.45 inches, just 9 hundredths of an inch away from the daily (midnight to midnight) record of 5.54 inches,” the National Weather Service said in a 5 p.m. update on Twitter.

And meanwhile, an active jet stream pattern also brought a parade of storms fueled by an atmospheric river of Pacific moisture.

An atmospheric river is a long, narrow region in the atmosphere which can transport moisture thousands of miles, like a fire hose in the sky. This heavy rainfall will slide southward to Southern California on Saturday and Sunday, accompanied by gusty winds of 30 to 50 mph.

Several small communities in northern California were under evacuation orders and warnings Saturday due to flooding. Three communities near the city of Watsonville were told to evacuate by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office due to creek flooding, while officials ordered the communities of Paradise Park and Felton to evacuate due to rising levels of the San Lorenzo River.

Neighborhoods near the Santa Rita Creek in Monterey County were put under a warning Saturday afternoon because of concerns the creek “will spill over its banks,” according to the sheriff’s office.

Evacuations from the floodwaters were being conducted Saturday with the help of an armored rescue vehicle in south San Ramon.

Residents in the community of Wilton, roughly 20 miles from Sacramento, were ordered to shelter in place due to the rains and floods.

“Rising water has made roads impassable in the area,” Sacramento County officials said on Facebook, urging those who were already on the road to head to safety and those who were home to “stay at home.”

The county on Saturday issued a proclamation of local state of emergency for the winter storms, saying the atmospheric river it’s been experiencing has caused “significant transportation impacts, rising creek and river levels and flooding” in the Wilton area.

A flood watch for more than 16 million is in effect including the entire Bay Area and Central Valley though Saturday night. Rain could ease Saturday evening before the calendar turns to 2023.

Earlier weather predictions said widespread rainfall accumulations of 2 to 4 inches are expected in northern and central California, but locally higher amounts of 5 to 7 inches are also possible for the foothills.

Northern California and the central California coast have already received 2 to 4 inches of rain in the last week. The cumulative effect of multiple Pacific storm systems laden with moisture from a potent atmospheric river will make impacts such as flash floods and landslides more likely.

Videos and photos shared by the National Weather Service in San Francisco show fallen trees blocking roadways, and multiple landslides.

In Oakland, local officials urged people to stay off the roads due to the heavy rain and flooding.

“If you have to travel, use caution. City crews are working through a backlog of reports of flooding and other weather impacts,” the city posted on Twitter.

New York
CNN
 — 

Singles are ditching pricey white tablecloth meals for romance in the park or on a walk instead.

The high cost of dining out and changes to dating habits during the pandemic have driven singles to seek out more affordable, casual first dates.

Singles are spending $130 a month on dates, up 40% from the past decade, according to an annual survey of 5,000 singles funded by Match

(MTCH), the owner of Tinder, Hinge and Plenty of Fish.

Eighty-four percent of singles say they now prefer a casual first date, according to the survey. Thirty percent say they are now more open to doing free activities, while 29% want to go on dates closer to home to save on gas. Home-cooked meals, coffee or drinks and other low-cost dates are also becoming more appealing.

“Singles, more than ever, are open to free dates,” Rachel DeAlto, Match’s chief dating expert, said in an interview. “They are mindful of the time, energy and money that they’re spending on those initial encounters.”

Nearly half of single Millennials and Gen Z have suggested going on a less expensive, more budget-friendly date, according to a Plenty of Fish survey of more than 8,000 users. The app called this trend “infla-dating” – going on less expensive dates due to higher prices.

Covid-19 restrictions also changed dating habits.

People learned to embrace free dates and outdoor encounters like walks or picnics in 2020.

“The parks became the hot date spot,” DeAlto said. “This was a great way to meet people without the extra money and time.”

Video first dates also became more popular during the pandemic, a trend that has stuck around. People are still using video calls to vet potential candidates to ensure they are worth the time and money in person.

Prior to the pandemic, around 8% of people were open to a video date before meeting in person, according to Match. That number has jumped to 37%.

Match, Bumble and other dating companies have seen consumers make changes on their apps as inflation and the uncertain state of the US economy take a toll on their finances.

People are still signing up for paid subscriptions, but they are not buying as many profile boosters on the apps and other one-time purchases to try to get more “likes,” say the companies and analysts.

“Our younger users are more susceptible. If you have your first job out of school and you’re reading a lot about layoffs, you tend to get a little more nervous,” Match chief operating officer Gary Swidler said at a conference earlier this month. “Less affluent people are being more careful.”

People still want to date, he said, but they are making adjustments.

“I don’t think that we’ll see people fully pull back on dating, but they might kind of nip and tuck here and there.”

Kristin Moss, 28, who works at online charity connecter DealAid, said inflation has “made me more picky in terms of where and who I would go on dates with.”

She always checks menu prices before going on dates now and doesn’t frequent bars as often because “$15 to $20 per drink can add up quickly.”

When gas prices spiked this summer, she didn’t want to drive more than 20 minutes from her home on a first date.

“Location and cost of first dates matter more now than they have in the last few years,” she said. “Why should I spend extra time and money just to go on a date that might end poorly?”