Month: January 2026

By Da Lin

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    MARIN COUNTY, California (KPIX) — King tides combined with heavy rain flooded low-lying areas across the Bay Area over the weekend, with Marin County experiencing some of the most severe impacts. Streets, homes and businesses in communities like Larkspur and Corte Madera were submerged under inches of water, forcing road closures and business shutdowns.

Just after 11 a.m. Sunday, Corte Madera Creek overflowed its banks, sending floodwaters rushing into the Larkspur Marina neighborhood. By noon, roughly half of the neighborhood’s streets were underwater.

Residents scrambled to protect their homes as water levels rose. Colette Tanaka, who has lived in Larkspur for 23 years, worked to keep floodwaters out using pumps and sandbags.

“We’re trying to keep it as dry as possible. Every sump pump, every sandbag. But this is just kind of normal for this area. But this is really much worse than we’ve ever seen,” Tanaka said.

Like many homes in the Larkspur Marina neighborhood, Tanaka’s house is elevated a few feet off the ground, keeping the living space dry. Her garage, however, was flooded.

“I’ve got the contractors coming tomorrow and see if we have to redo the concrete on the floor or tear stuff out,” she said.

Parts of Riviera Circle were submerged under knee-deep water, making high-profile vehicles the safest way to navigate the neighborhood. Grant Grobecker, a Larkspur resident, drove through the area to check on his home and make sure his parents and two brothers were safe.

“This is my house right here. You can see the right corner — just barely being touched by the water. And then front door wise, there’s no water in my front door. So I’d say my house is definitely doing better than a lot of these other houses,” Grobecker said.

Floodwaters entered many garages throughout the neighborhood. Since this marked the fourth consecutive day of king tides, many residents had already moved valuables to higher ground. Heavier appliances, such as washers and dryers, remained a concern.

“Look at this, this door just got destroyed,” Grobecker said.

Despite the damage, some residents expressed a sense of resignation.

“It’s mother nature, we just do what we can,” Tanaka said.

A few blocks away in Corte Madera, flooding and impassable roads forced businesses to close, including Big 5 Sporting Goods and Fitness SF. Sebastyen Jackovics, co-owner of Fitness SF, said the flooding was unprecedented in the gym’s 35-year history.

“We’ve been at this location for 35 years, and we’ve never seen it this bad. There have been flooding here on Lucky Drive, but not like this,” Jackovics said.

The gym has been closed since Friday afternoon as staff work to keep water out and clean up the facility. Jackovics said some damage had already occurred.

“There were some electronics that got damaged in offices; it just caught us by surprise. The gym itself has a couple of inches of water in it in certain areas. But we’re able to defend the gym pretty well because we’re sandbagged up and we have pumps going,” he said.

Residents and business owners said Saturday was the worst day for flooding, with water levels slightly lower on Sunday. Dixie Hurst, a Marin County resident, described how high the water reached in the backyard of a home that she’s caring for.

“Yesterday, the water was all the way up to the top of my boot in this yard. So it was probably almost 12 inches. You could not see any grass,” Hurst said.

Despite her attachment to the neighborhood, Tanaka said she remains uncertain about the future.

“Talk to me next year, we’ve got a date,” she said.

As cleanup efforts remain on hold, residents and business owners continue to monitor the forecast closely. Many said they cannot fully assess damage or begin repairs until the threat of additional king tides passes, and fatigue is setting in after days of repeated flooding.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

KCBS

By Luzdelia Caballero

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    MALIBU, California (KCAL, KCBS) — One year after the Palisades Fire ripped through the Pacific Palisades and destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses, CBS LA speaks with an 89-year-old survivor whose spirit refuses to burn out despite the hurdles that have been thrown her way.

The quiet Malibu hillside that was once home to Dominica Schiro, known to her loved ones as Mimma, is still blackened, carrying a reminder of the devastating inferno that leveled entire communities after it erupted on Jan. 7, 2025.

“It was very bad,” Schiro said. “I lost everything.”

She says that while she was able to get out in time, her close friend and neighbor did not.

“Was very nice man. I feel bad,” she said.

Schiro’s daughter, Dorina, says that when they left the home, they could see smoke in the distance, but never thought that it would spread as far as Malibu.

“I didn’t grab anything, thinking that I was going to come home,” she said. “It was a big mistake, my family albums, my dad’s beautiful paintings — all gone.”

Among those family albums was Mimma’s wedding album.

“This was really sad for me. This make me cry,” Mimma said.

Her other daughter, Gracie Darden, says that the horrors of last January still haunt her, even now.

“Every time I see an alert on my phone, the fire alerts, I literally get traumatized,” she said.

Though they’re still trying to come to terms with the fact that the place where Mimma baked and cooked for the neighborhood and made memories with the family over the course of 30 years is no longer standing, they’re still able to find gratitude for life.

After months of setbacks and paperwork, the Schiro family now finally has a rendering for a new home on the Malibu property. They said that they’re one step closer to getting their rebuilding permits accepted.

“They say we could probably start in January, and finish, God willing, they think hopefully a year,” Dorina Schiro said.

The empty lot isn’t a graveyard of memories, they said, but rather a blank page where they plan to rebuild everything after the destructive fire. It will also be a reunion with the one item the blaze didn’t damage, a stone angel that once sat in the home’s yard.

“It’s the one thing that survived,” Darden said. “Every time I see it, I go, ‘Thank you, God.’ Because things come and go, family doesn’t.”

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Luzdelia Caballero

Click here for updates on this story

    MALIBU, California (KCAL, KCBS) — One year after the Palisades Fire ripped through the Pacific Palisades and destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses, CBS LA speaks with an 89-year-old survivor whose spirit refuses to burn out despite the hurdles that have been thrown her way.

The quiet Malibu hillside that was once home to Dominica Schiro, known to her loved ones as Mimma, is still blackened, carrying a reminder of the devastating inferno that leveled entire communities after it erupted on Jan. 7, 2025.

“It was very bad,” Schiro said. “I lost everything.”

She says that while she was able to get out in time, her close friend and neighbor did not.

“Was very nice man. I feel bad,” she said.

Schiro’s daughter, Dorina, says that when they left the home, they could see smoke in the distance, but never thought that it would spread as far as Malibu.

“I didn’t grab anything, thinking that I was going to come home,” she said. “It was a big mistake, my family albums, my dad’s beautiful paintings — all gone.”

Among those family albums was Mimma’s wedding album.

“This was really sad for me. This make me cry,” Mimma said.

Her other daughter, Gracie Darden, says that the horrors of last January still haunt her, even now.

“Every time I see an alert on my phone, the fire alerts, I literally get traumatized,” she said.

Though they’re still trying to come to terms with the fact that the place where Mimma baked and cooked for the neighborhood and made memories with the family over the course of 30 years is no longer standing, they’re still able to find gratitude for life.

After months of setbacks and paperwork, the Schiro family now finally has a rendering for a new home on the Malibu property. They said that they’re one step closer to getting their rebuilding permits accepted.

“They say we could probably start in January, and finish, God willing, they think hopefully a year,” Dorina Schiro said.

The empty lot isn’t a graveyard of memories, they said, but rather a blank page where they plan to rebuild everything after the destructive fire. It will also be a reunion with the one item the blaze didn’t damage, a stone angel that once sat in the home’s yard.

“It’s the one thing that survived,” Darden said. “Every time I see it, I go, ‘Thank you, God.’ Because things come and go, family doesn’t.”

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

WBBM

By CBS Chicago Team

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    CALUMET CITY, Illinois (WBBM) — Three kids whose grandmother and mother struggled through the holidays were surprised with a Christmas in January blessing.

They were taken by police escort to the Calumet City Library, where they received toys and other gifts.

The children’s grandmother, Ada Britton, is raising them full-time. She faces various health issues and was recently a victim of domestic violence. Because of this, the kids did not get much for Christmas.

That’s when the community stepped in.

“At Christmas time, their mom was like we don’t have the money, mom, we trying to do what we can do. I tried to go to some of the banks that’s giving away toys, coats, and stuff. So my grandbabies like grandma, I didn’t get what I want for Christmas. I said Maybe Santa forgot … This is so amazing.”

The family also received $2,000 in cash and $1,000 in gift cards.

Calumet City Mayor Thaddeus Jones said he hopes the money can bring some joy and comfort to the struggling family to start the new year.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By CBS Chicago Team

Click here for updates on this story

    CALUMET CITY, Illinois (WBBM) — Three kids whose grandmother and mother struggled through the holidays were surprised with a Christmas in January blessing.

They were taken by police escort to the Calumet City Library, where they received toys and other gifts.

The children’s grandmother, Ada Britton, is raising them full-time. She faces various health issues and was recently a victim of domestic violence. Because of this, the kids did not get much for Christmas.

That’s when the community stepped in.

“At Christmas time, their mom was like we don’t have the money, mom, we trying to do what we can do. I tried to go to some of the banks that’s giving away toys, coats, and stuff. So my grandbabies like grandma, I didn’t get what I want for Christmas. I said Maybe Santa forgot … This is so amazing.”

The family also received $2,000 in cash and $1,000 in gift cards.

Calumet City Mayor Thaddeus Jones said he hopes the money can bring some joy and comfort to the struggling family to start the new year.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Steven Yablonski

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    MIRAMAR, Florida (WFOR) — An investigation is underway in Miramar after police said a man was pistol whipped and had his French bulldog stolen overnight.

Few details have been released, but police said they responded to a Shotspotter alert indicating possible gunfire in a neighborhood in the 3100 block of Southwest 128th Terrace.

When police arrived, they said officers located evidence consistent with the ShotSpotter alert and shell casing were found.

A male victim located at the scene sustained injuries as a result of being pistol whipped, police said.

He was evaluated at the scene and was cleared by Miramar Fire Rescue, according to police.

He remained at the scene and has been cooperating fully with the investigation, police added.

In addition, the victim said several people arrived in the area and took his French bulldog. That dog, police said, was later recovered in the area.

Police said the investigation remains active and ongoing as detectives continue to determine the full circumstances surrounding the incident.

No other information was released.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.