North Bay rain and wind topple trees into power lines, homes and a fire engine

NOVATO, Calif. - This weekend's atmospheric river system continued to batter the Bay Area on Sunday, including in the North Bay, where high winds easily toppled trees onto homes, power lines, cars and even a fire engine. 

No one was hurt when the tree fell onto a Novato fire engine and nearby power lines, but a section of Diablo Avenue was temporarily shut down as crews responded. 

The accident was a prime example of why first responders urged Bay Area residents to stay indoors if possible.

"If you don’t need to be out, just don’t be out," said Santa Rosa fire inspector Will Powers, who spent the day going from downed tree to downed tree as city resources were stretched thin by the calls. 

"We always stress to the public, stay away from downed trees, stay away from downed lines. Whether you think they’re communication lines or not, they could be charged, they could be hazardous, and just wait for the first responders to arrive," Powers added.      

PG&E crews were out in force, but the high wind, heavy rain, and saturated soil, created a seemingly unending workload for them. 

In Napa, an old growth tree on the Silverado Trail was among many in the area that came down amid the heavy gusts.

"It was ferocious, I mean the palm trees in [my neighbor's] yard, they were bent, they were going past 45 degrees," said neighbor Mike Schneiders.

Power was temporarily knocked out to the surrounding neighborhood.

"We’re getting a little worried now about the food in the refrigerator," said a woman house-sitting on the street.

"There’s no heat, and of course no lights, so we’re not sure what we’re going to do for dinner," added her husband.

Downed trees and power lines weren't the only hazard. 

A number of communities experienced flooding in low-lying areas and near creeks and streams. Route 121 was shut down between Arnold Drive and 8th Street in Sonoma after being inundated by flood waters.