golf course. kpix 5's andria borba reports from san ramon. >> reporter: the call came into dispatchers just before 11 a.m. from the canyon lakes golf course. san ramon "valley fire" says a woman in her 50s or 60s was out for a walk along the course this morning when a poplar tree came crashing down near the 7th hole. you can see the branches left on the ground surrounded by caution tape in this video. firefighters with san ramon valley say the course was saturated and it was windy when this were called to the scene and they were stunned by the size of the downed tree because it was so small. >> it was a totally 7" diameter tree so in terms of trees of what we normally hear of falling down it wasn't a big monster tree. everything lined up so tragically for the circumstances. >> reporter: the woman was taken to san ramon regional medical center where she died. a representative from the course told kpix 5 the course is closed due to the storm. live in san ramon, andria borba, kpix 5. watches and warnings are posted for much of the bay area. let's check with brian hackney. he is in the weather center for the latest. >> allen, juliette, here it comes! >> a little bit of a lull before the rain comes in tonight. in the next few hours and through sunrise tomorrow the latest on the kpix 5 hi-def doppler shows the action at the moment is concentrated mostly in the monterey bay area in the south end of the big sur coastline. up in the north bay and in the south bay, just scattered showers right now. a little bit around the kpix 5 hi-def doppler site up at mount vaca. but most of this is still offshore as you can see, this pineapple express tapping moisture from all the way north of the hawaiian islands, much of the moisture offshore will affect us overnight. intense rain and wind will develop shortly favoring the south bay to begin with. treacherous mountain travel, rivers rising through monday, widespread road flooding through tomorrow night. totals as much as 7" in the north bay and almost a foot of rain in the santa cruz mountains by the time all is said and done by monday night. and yet it is not all said and done by monday night. we have more on the way after this. we'll have the details when we cover the forecast in a few minutes. let's get back to our live team coverage as people are gearing up for all the wind and rain. >> jackie ward is standing by live in san anselmo. emily turner is live for us at lake tahoe. but we start in the south bay with kiet do and the huge risk of flooding over the next several hours. kiet. >> reporter: we're live here at lexington reservoir and i don't think we could have picked a more miserable spot here in the santa cruz mountains. these winds are blowing up to 40 miles an hour i think. if you look closely here, you can see the rain coming in completely sideways. we have not seen the reservoir this full in quite some time. they are at now 58% of capacity. i did the math. since tuesday, that is a billion gallons of water that have drained into the lexington reservoir and a lot more is on the way. the calm before the storm was anything but at the summit of highway 17. heavy fog and a steady shower meant one of the most treacherous drives in the country was even more so. it had only been raining a few hours and already caltrans crews were busy unclogging flooded lanes. this man laid sandbags to divert the forecasted 6 inches of rain from eating away vine hill road. a couple of years ago, 80 feet of the road crumbled. >> you think it will hold? >> i think it will direct a lot of the water. it helps to keep it off the road and then, um, that's all good, i suppose, so -- >> reporter: the santa cruz mountains are still draining out from the storm on tuesday. it dumped up to 10" of rain in some parts. the san lorenzo river flowing through downtown santa cruz is as high as it's been in months. folks in paradise park are keeping an eye on it. gina has already cleared out her basement expecting the worst. >> we're hoping it doesn't get that high. it sounds like it could with this storm coming in. last week it was very high on the banks. >> reporter: sherri knows the drill. there is nothing to do for now but wait by the riverbank. >> the last five, 10 feet happen really quick. so i always gauge it by coming to the concrete, coming up to the patio. when it gets to the patio, it's time to get busy. >> reporter: so this is how it's been pretty much all day long. heavy winds, sporadic showers, everybody just kind of waiting for the weekend. government agencies are monitoring the situation as they say. coming up in the 6:00 hour, we'll show you the surf conditions out here. let me tell ya, surf is up on the beach in santa cruz! live at lexington reservoir, kiet do, kpix 5. >>let's go to the mountains. caltrans working hard to keep the roads clear at donner summit. this of course a two-part job. first get rid of the snow that just fell. then prepare for the rain and all the melting snow. kpix 5 reporter emily turner live in south lake tahoe where there are flooding concerns, as well. emily. >> reporter: yeah. this is all rain you see falling down right now. it is not snow. the flooding concerns involve the american canyon, the truckee river and also some residential neighborhoods. in fact, you can see water starting to pile up on the streets because that snow has gotten in the drains and there's nowhere for that water to go. this morning in south lake tahoe, the snow turned to rain. and the trees started falling with it. several landing in power lines. but the real concern has yet to materialize, flooding. but folks like these are getting ready. >> when we have gotten, like, a lot of rain in the winter after a snowstorm we have gotten water in our basement. so, um, yeah, we're hoping that we can kind of divert it to avoid that this time. >> reporter: he is not alone. people prepping for the storm have been in and out all day. the fire department has had four deliveries of sand in the last 4 hours but by 2 p.m. today, they were out again. >> we have had snow on the ground for the last week or so. it's frozen solid and so all the drains are plugged, gutters are plugged. >> reporter: it's call "sierra cement" and it doesn't leave the foot of expected rain anywhere to go causing flooding and messes all over the place. it also makes getting to emergencies more challenging. so each emergency vehicle is already set up with chains on top of four-wheel drive and snow tires. everyone, it seems, is getting ready for the downpour and whatever it may bring with it. >> worst-case scenario we are going to get a lot of water in our basement. so there could be some damage or -- i mean, before it just soaked a lot of the carpeting down there. so we have to, you know, lift up the carpeting, get fans and heaters and everything down there. and it's just a lot of work and a big pain. >> reporter: it's only going to get worse because you might think overnight those temperatures are going to drop. not the case. by 4:00 in the morning, it's going to be up from 39 where it is now to 42 degrees so more snow is going to melt on top of the rain making for a slushy mess and then cooler temperatures behind that are going to make it worse. we have been monitoring twitter feeds checking with the fire department. couple of other things important to note up here is that there is an avalanche warning in the village and there's a possibility that the fire department is keeping their eye on emerald bay because they had a fire there earlier this year and are afraid there may be a mud slide. we'll have more coming up. live from southlake, emily turner, kpix 5. the heavy rain likely to cause creeks and rivers to swell in marin county possibly overflow. >> residents and business owners are taking steps to try and limit the potential damage. kpix 5's jackie ward is in san anselmo. people there all too familiar with creek flooding. >> reporter: that's for sure. unfortunately. but we know how seriously they take their storm preps because of the damage that they have had in years past. so tonight the floodgates are out, the sandbags are here. people all over the north bay heeded these warnings earnestly, though, and completed any last-minute tasks before hunkering down for the night. sandbag stations like this one in novato are popular places to be today. >> so far it's okay. tomorrow, doesn't look good. that's why i'm here. >> reporter: he says when storms get bad, he knows the toll it can take on his property. >> a lot of rain about half dozen springs come up. so we have to direct the water. >> reporter: in san anselmo people are finding the fun in this weather. >> this is nothing. we have been through two flooz before and it hasn't even risen. we came out to puddle jump and there's nothing even here to worry about now. >> reporter: but remain wary of this creek and what it's destroyed in the past. >> i'm a little nervous. we'll see. >> reporter: inside this salon, in 2005 brought in two feet of mud covering their space and forcing them to remodel. in fact, katrina says she still owes money for that project. >> you do what you have to do. it's bad times, you clean up and you're moving on the next day. >> reporter: no matter what this storm brings, the businesses here will weather it like they always do. >> everyone comes together. we are a community. san anselmo is a great town. >> reporter: the town manager in san anselmo wanted me to remind the people once they hear the flood horn sound that means they have to get to higher ground as soon as possible. she doesn't want people walking down to the creek to check out the situation. also, in novato the emergency operations center will be open at 6 a.m. tomorrow for anyone who needsists services. in san anselmo, jackie ward, kpix 5. >> stay away from the rushing water. the wild weather having an impact in yosemite. visitors are being turned away. this is inside the park. rangers closed the gates a few minutes ago. we are the only tv crew with a position now inside the park. rangers ordered everyone out yesterday because of the fear of flooding. despite the closure the oakhurst visitors center is encouraging travelers to stay. >> please don't be concerned about yosemite being closed as mentioned. [ indiscernible ] [ heavy accent ] >> yosemite suffered major flooding in 1997. water was released this week from the reservoirs to make room for the expected runoff from this storm. now, we will show you what some of that runoff looks like right now in the report from the park and that's coming up at 6:00. take a look at what happened in oakland earlier today. a tree blocked several southbound lanes on highway 13. chp tweeted out this photo. we're told all lanes are back open now. our storm watch coverage continues in just minutes. coming up, the vulnerable bay area locations where sandbags are a must. how business owners are trying to keep their livelihoods from disaster. >> plus, pier problems. the bay area city that shut down a popular fishing destination ahead of the storm. >> and the other major story of the days, the oakland raiders. what happened on the field in houston! and what fans are saying about their sluggish play-off performance. ,,,, oakland is beaten badly by the houston texans... struggling third string quarterb the raiders made it to the play-offs but their season is over. oakland bead en badly by the houston texans struggling behind third string quarterback connor cook his first-ever nfl start. raiders fans hoped to the end. >> you have to. the raider faithful gathered at their east bay headquarters in san leandro. it was the first time they watched the silver and black in a post-season game since 2002. buthope faded fast. it was a cinderella season for some and they can't wait for a repeat. >> we gonna be way better next season. i'm definitely optimistic about next season. we'll do better than 12-4. i think we'll pretty much run the table. [ laughter ] >> andrea nakano will have highlights in a few minutes. coming up, we are monitoring the potential for floods in one bay area san francisco area known for taking on water and the quick side of the sun earlier today -- the quick sight of the sun earlier today. >> don't count on it for the weekend! we have river levels, wind gusts, rain amounts, the whole thing coming up after the break. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, the pacifica pier is closed all weekend. earlier this week - high winds and with a big storm moving in the pacifica pier is closed all weekend. earlier this week high winds and crashing waves made it almost impossible for fishermen to cast a line off the pier. the 44-year-old structure is vulnerable to damage during intense storm systems like the one rolling in today. farther south in santa cruz the san lorenzo river already running high an officials monitoring it for potential flooding to come. the river does, of course, come out of the mountains but flows right through the middle of town. san francisco crews working around the clock preparing for the storm. in one flood-prone neighborhood a first-of-its-kind program is in place. dozens of plastic barriers line the street at 17th and folsom in the mission. it's just the second time the city has installed them to keep the runoff from the hills from running into homes and businesses. >> really just kind of pools here in this area. if you walk down the street and look up the hill you will see it all comes down and drains right here to this area and so this is where water has been falling for centuries. and this is where it will always come. >> walsh says the barriers will stay in place until the wet weather moves on. in the east bay, people are out early filling up sandbags. their defense, of course, against rising water. this is shepherd canyon road. the city limits residents to 10 bags but they are open again tomorrow from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. we captured a beautiful rainbow this afternoon at san francisco international airport despite all the rain. here's the time lapse showing the clouds moving and the rainbow slowly fading. >> silver lining. >> what storm? >> brian, what's going on? >> mother nature's roost. a little misleading. usually you see a rainbow to the east. clearing some behind you rainbow that way weather systems from west to east the moisture must be heading out but it was a little bit of i hate to use the cliche but now what they say before the storm. and that's what it was this afternoon. a bill of a lull. the winds have ease up and no gusts greater than 25 miles an hour at the moment but the rain is focusing on the big sur coastline down around the monterey bay area. in the south bay, it's slowly beginning to creep up although there are some rain shadow locations in the santa clara valley that are not going to get huge amounts from this storm. up in the north bay not much, not yet. but there are flood watches posted in the bay area especially the burn areas, heavy rain this weekend, be careful heading out. napa river in st. helena will crest above flood stage at 18.1 feet on sunday so minor flooding in low-lying areas for 1-888-5-helps-u saint helena. you have to be on top top of the situation. russian river to be 35.5 feet on monday means moderate flooding expected. around 4th street and 5th street. and mill street. those residences and those businesses will flood. that's monday afternoon. it could be worse if again the focus of the storm shifts a little bit more to the north. passion 24 hours not that much a third of an inch in the east bay over there at oakland, san francisco about the same. san jose only .16." half inch at the airport or nearly so. san rafael has done fairly well with this. it's a perfect situation. low pressure up top. high pressure below, big moisture tap heading back to hawaii. and the bulk of the moisture well offshore. it will begin to develop tonight so heavy rain and strong winds will be developing. futurecast lays it out beautifully. this is how it looks at 9:00 tonight. a powerful jet is directed over the peninsula and the bay area centered on either side. focus shifts to the south bay by midnight. but sunrise tomorrow morning, the north bay picks up some of the heaviest cells. so first south bay, north bay then we all get hit by late in the afternoon. tomorrow 8 a.m. you can see a long band of moisture. but take away from these maps is it's going to be wet with heavy cells and there could be thunderstorms. in terms of amounts, i mean, from the north bay to the south bay more than 3 inches of rain. high wind alerts also the other part of the story with wind warnings in the hills. already there's 600 people without power in the santa cruz pluto's in west marin there are 1200 without power. maximum winds more than 60 miles an hour so far at diablo about the same at los gatos. right now they have eased up a bit but the winds will be picking up in the next three hours and so it will be windy and rainy and a bit of snow in the mountains but not a huge amount. so the storm timeline shows we get rain, it will be moderate through the next couple of hours, but overnight tonight is when we really do get hit. the overnight lows are not the story really. we'll have readings in the 50s. tomorrow we'll also be in the 50s. in the extended forecast, rain heavy at times, wind strong at times. all the way through tomorrow afternoon until we finally begin to ease up by tomorrow night and get lingering showers on monday. there's more on the way later in the week but nothing like the next 24 hours. >> good warning. thank you. a good day to stay indoors and watch sports. >> unless you're a raiders fan. coming up in sports, it's all football as we check in with the 49ers first, with a head coach and gm but it's all about the silver and black today. we head to houston where the raiders were trying to get their first win in the play- offs since 2002 without several key players. we'll be right back. ,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, years but that post season excitement bubble burst on christmas eve. derek carr's injury completely deflated this team... an it's their first play-off appearance in 14 years but the post-season excitement bubble burst on christmas eve. derek carr's injury deflated the team and today they tried to breathe life back into the season. connor cook the first quarterback in the super bowl era to make his first start in the nfl in a play-off game. it's already 3-0 houston in the 1st quarter. cooking looking for murray but his pass is intercepted by jadeveon clowney and on the very next play, the texans cash in on the mistake. lamar miller gets to the outside and scores on a four yard touchdown run to make it 10-0. but cook and oakland respond later in the quarter. murray caps off this drive with a two-yard touchdown run and the raiders cut the deficit to 3. now 13-7 with two minutes left in the half. brock osweiler goes deep to deandre hopkins, who makes a great grab for a 38-yard gain giving the texans and first and goal great throw as well but just two plays later os whiler to hopkins for a two-yard touchdown pass, houston 20-7 going into the half. as for cook not a lot of success in the third. he is brought down by whitney merciless on third down cook was sacked three times in the game. 4th quarter still 20-7. osweiler rolls out and takes this one in all by himself. he scores to make it 27-7 and that's about it folks. the raiders try to respond. cook finds andre holmes for an 8-yard touchdown. a two score game with 8 minutes to go and oakland gets the ball back with under five minutes to play but cook is picked off by cory moore to clinch the game for houston. cook finished 18 of 45 for 161 yards. and three interceptions. the texans win 27-14 as oakland's first play-off appearance since 2002 comes to a disappointing end. >> just came to an abrupt end. last two weeks, um, not able to -- not able to do enough as a team to carry on. >> latavius as you look back this is moments after the game, but what went wrong out there? >> a lot. um, you didn't -- we didn't do enough. we didn't make enough plays. and so, um, you know, a lot went wrong. it just hurt, um, you know, to, um, put so much work into something, um, and for it to end this way. it just hurts. >> this is the opportunity that we had that we didn't make the most out of it. and, um, we have to find a way next year to come back and put it all together. >> just shows how valuable derek carr is to that team. >> absolutely. all right. thank you. that's it for us at 5:00. we'll see you back here with more live storm coverage coming up at 6:00. >> and, of course, the cbs weekend news is coming up next. news updates are always on cbssf.com. captions by: caption colorado comments@captioncolorado.com ♪ ♪ captioning sponsored by cbs t >> ninan: what triggered the deadly airport attack? officials say army veteran esteban santiago came to fort lauderdale specifically to carry out the shootings, but why? the shootings could reopen the debate on flying with firearms. ht,o tonight, new details about the victims and harrowing stories of survival. this man was saved by his laptop. it's a weekend of winter storms from coast to coast. arrs slide off the road, and ranes are grounded in the south. the northeast gets buried. the west braces for floods and mudslides. >> there you go! >> ninan: and the death of tilikum the killer whale just as sea changes come to seaworld. >> the things you'll see the whales doing, that's all changing.