The storm caused significant damage throughout Santa Cruz county south of San Francisco. Piers in popular beach towns including Capitola and Seacliff were heavily damaged, the county said. San Francisco recorded the wettest ten-day period since 1871, with 10.33 inches of rain falling between Dec. 26 and Jan. 4. The rain was an enormous amount of precipitation in America's most populous state, which typically enjoys a dry, mostly Mediterranean climate. The deluge on the drought-parched ground led to fears of mudslides; winds that could down weakened trees; and runoff that could overwhelm urban areas with flooding.