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Flood fears renewed in California, and 3 tornadoes hit Texas

A sign warned motorists of flooding on northbound Highway 101 Monday in Corte Madera, Calif.Eric Risberg/Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO — Downpours swelled creeks and rivers Monday in Northern California, threatening to cause even more flooding in the already soggy region.

In Texas, officials said severe storms pushed at least three tornadoes through parts of San Antonio overnight Sunday, damaging dozens of buildings but causing only minor injuries,

Residents of the San Joaquin Valley in California were patrolling levees for signs of flood danger, reviewing evacuation plans and filling hundreds of sandbags after the San Joaquin River kept rising.

The National Weather Service issued flood, snow, and wind advisories, including a flash flood warning for the Soberanes burn area in Monterey County. Winds could reach 60 miles per hour in the San Francisco Bay Area.

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Santa Cruz County had seen 2.8 inches of rain in 24 hours and could see up to 8 inches before the storm passes Tuesday. Marin County got 2.3 inches of rain while close to an inch fell in San Francisco.

Forecasters said rainfall in San Francisco has already surpassed the normal annual amount for the wet season that begins in October.

The city has logged 24.5 inches of rain since Oct. 1, said National Weather Service forecaster Bob Benjamin. The average rainfall for the year ending Sept. 30 is 23.65 inches.

The San Joaquin River was approaching the top of levees and could remain at that level for four days, said Tim Daly, a spokesman with the San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services.

The Don Pedro reservoir, which captures water from the Tuolumne River, a key tributary of the San Joaquin, was at 97 percent capacity.

A National Weather Service survey team in Texas confirmed that a tornado with winds hitting 105 miles per hour struck a residential area about 5 miles north of downtown around midnight.

Of the 43 homes damaged in the area, three fully collapsed, said San Antonio Fire Department spokesman Woody Woodward.

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Eight buildings in a nearby apartment complex were severely damaged, with some roofs stripped from the buildings and a couple of buildings partially collapsed, Woodward said.

Five minor injuries were reported in the area. Crews estimating the damage said preliminary reports indicate the tornado left a 4½-mile track.

Another tornado briefly touched down about 5 miles northeast of San Antonio International Airport. Woodward had no reports of damage from that area, but photos show tall steel towers carrying high-voltage electric transmission lines toppled or buckled in half.

Citywide, more than 100 structures were damaged by storms, Woodward said.

Another 30 to 40 homes were damaged in two adjoining subdivisions about 10 miles northeast of downtown, said Bexar County spokeswoman Monica Ramos. The National Weather Service said the area was hit by a weak tornado, with winds of up to 70 miles per hour, along a roughly 1½-mile track.