Water Damage Restoration in Modesto, CA

An updated tsunami warning was issued by the NWS National Tsunami Warning Center on Thursday at 11:24 a.m. in effect until 12:24 p.m. The warning is for Coastal North Bay Including Point Reyes National Seashore, North Bay Interior Valleys, San Francisco Bay Shoreline, San Francisco Peninsula Coast, Mendocino Coast, Southwestern Humboldt, Northern Humboldt Coast and Coastal Del Norte as well as San Francisco County.

"If you are located in this coastal area, move inland to higher ground. Tsunami warnings mean that a tsunami with significant inundation is possible or is already occurring. Tsunamis are a series of waves dangerous many hours after initial arrival time. The first wave may not be the largest. At 10:44 a.m. Pacific Standard Time on December 5 an earthquake with preliminary magnitude 7.0 occurred 45 miles southwest of Eureka California. Estimated tsunami start times for selected sites are; Fort Bragg California 11:10 a.m. PST. December 5. Crescent City California 11:20 a.m. PST. December 5. Port Orford Oregon 11:20 a.m. PST. December 5. Brookings Oregon 11:25 a.m. PST. December 5. Charleston Oregon 11:40 a.m. PST. December 5. San Francisco California 12:10 p.m. PST. December 5," says the NWS.

This warning is in effect until 12:24 p.m.

When it comes to tsunami alerts, understanding the levels of risk is crucial. The NWS classifies them into four distinct categories:

Tsunami warning: Immediate action required

A tsunami that may cause widespread flooding is expected or occurring. Dangerous coastal flooding and powerful currents are possible and may continue for several hours or days after initial arrival. Follow instructions from local officials. Evacuation is recommended. Move to high ground or inland (away from the water).

Tsunami advisory: Exercise caution

When a tsunami with strong currents or hazardous waves near the water's edge is expected or occurring, a tsunami advisory is issued. Flooding in beach and harbor areas may occur. Stay out of the water and follow instructions from local authorities.

Tsunami watch: Be prepared

A tsunami watch is initiated when a distant earthquake occurs, raising the possibility of a tsunami. People in affected areas should stay tuned for updates and be prepared to take action if necessary, even though the threat isn't immediate.

Tsunami information statement: No immediate threat

This statement is issued when an earthquake has occurred, but there is no threat of a destructive tsunami. In some cases, the earthquake may have been too distant to pose any danger.

There may not always be enough time for an official warning for tsunamis, so it is important that you understand natural warnings. If you are at the coast and feel a strong or long earthquake, see a sudden rise or fall of the ocean, or hear a loud roar from the ocean, a tsunami may follow. This is your warning. Take action and move to a safe place. Do not wait for official instructions.

Source: The National Weather Service

This article was generated by the CA Weather Bot, software that analyzes structured information, such as data, and applies it to articles based on templates created by journalists in the newsroom. No human journalist was harmed in this experiment. You can report errors or bugs to mcclatchybot@mcclatchy.com

This story was originally published December 5, 2024, 10:55 AM.

What is the best internet provider in Modesto, California?

AT&T Fiber is CNET's pick for the best internet service provider in Modesto. It's our top pick because it offers customer-friendly terms alongside fast speeds. Being a fiber provider, it's the only internet in the city to offer symmetrical upload and download speeds -- ideal for people who work remotely or game online.

If you're looking for the most affordable plans, Xfinity is the cheapest internet provider in Modesto, with plans starting at $20 per month for a 150Mbps connection. However, these are introductory prices that will increase significantly after a year or two (or both). Another cable internet provider worth considering is Spectrum, but it also has the same problem of steep price increases in the second or third year.

There are two other options worth considering for households that don’t need a lot of speed: T-Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G Home Internet. Both are middle-of-the-road in price and speed, but you can save by bundling with an eligible cellphone plan.

Best internet in Modesto, California

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Modesto

The best internet deals and top promotions in Modesto depend on what discounts are available during a given time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.

Modesto internet providers, such as AT&T Fiber, Xfinity and Verizon 5G Home Internet, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, however, including Spectrum and T-Mobile Home Internet, run the same standard pricing year-round.

For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What’s a good internet speed?

Most internet connection plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you're looking for an internet plan that can accommodate videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you'll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here's an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the FCC. Note that these are only guidelines -- and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.

For more information, refer to our guide on how much internet speed you really need.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Modesto

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. So what’s our approach? We start by researching the pricing, availability and speed information drawing on our own historical ISP data, the provider sites and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.

But it doesn’t end there. We use the FCC’s website to check our data and ensure we consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of publication.

Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:

While the answer to those questions is often layered and complex, the providers who come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, though we also factor in things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively straightforward. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.

Modesto internet provider FAQs

More rain is on its way to Northern California, including the Modesto area, according to the National Weather Service.

“A quick-moving weather system is set to bring wet, unsettled weather to the area primarily on Monday,” the weather agency said on X, formerly called Twitter.

A quick-moving weather system is set to bring wet, unsettled weather to the area primarily on Monday. Here's a look at forecast precipitation and snowfall amounts. Make sure to monitor the weather, especially if you have any Veterans Day plans. #CAwx pic.twitter.com/apMAQ0Pf7P

— NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) November 8, 2024

Rainfall in the Valley is expected to be light, with Modesto likely to see up to 0.1 inches of rain.

Here’s when to expect rain in Modesto:

The latest weather forecast for Modesto shows a high near 70 degrees on Friday, with light winds throughout the day and an overnight low around 45 degrees.

Saturday will bring partly cloudy skies and light winds across the region.

The high is expected to reach around 70 degrees, with a low near 44 degrees.

By Sunday, skies will clear and sunny, with light afternoon winds reaching about 5 mph.

The high will be close to 71 degrees, and the low will remain around 44 degrees.

Rain clouds will roll in on Monday, just in time in Veterans Day.

There is a 50% chance of showers after 10 a.m. on Monday. The high will be near 67 degrees and the low will be around 48 degrees.

Modesto has received approximately 0.04 inches of rain this season, which began on July 1 and will continue through June 30, 2025.

The forecast for Tuesday shows clear skies in Modesto, with a high near 64 degrees and a low around 45.

However, more rain is expected to arrive late into next week, with a “slight chance of showers” on both Wednesday and Thursday.

The 8 to 14 Day Precipitation Outlook valid for 11/15 through 11/21 indicates precipitation chances leaning above normal for the interior NorCal region. #cawx pic.twitter.com/32EWeEgm8i

— NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) November 8, 2024

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s precipitation and temperature outlook for Nov. 15 to Nov. 21 shows above-normal precipitation levels and below-normal temperatures in Modesto.

What do you want to know about life in Modesto? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@modbee.com.

Uniquely is a Modesto Bee series that covers the moments, landmarks and personalities that define what makes living in the Central Valley so special.

If there’s one thing that can be said about Modesto, it’s that the people who care about the town do so passionately.

I’m sure a few names come to mind when reading that — and two of those may be Sam Pierstorff and Ruhi Sheikh.

The Modesto power couple, as I’ve come to know them, are the proud new owners of Queen Bean Coffee & Social House.

Pierstorff and Sheikh purchased the 116-year-old house turned coffee shop in September. But it wasn’t a quick process.

The six-month-long escrow was due largely to challenges in securing financing. The couple were turned down by the first bank where they applied for a loan.

“We were gutted because we knew that the seller was on a bit of a timeline,” Sheikh said.

Despite getting a “no” right off the bat, Pierstorff and Sheikh decided to try again.

“We both just knew what would happen to (Queen Bean) if we didn’t buy it,” Sheikh said. “I don’t think we’ve ever been more determined in our lives.”

The seller, previous Queen Bean owner Debra Martinez, received other offers from businesses including a law firm and an insurance company, “but nobody really wanted Queen Bean the coffee house,” Pierstorff said.

The couple got their “yes” on the next try from Valley First Credit Union. The credit union focused on the couple’s concept rather than their financial background, they said.

Pierstorff and Sheikh received a loan to purchase the property and pay construction costs. Their renovation plans include rebuilding the outdated deck and updating the kitchen.

Why was it so hard for them to receive financing?

“I work for a nonprofit. He’s a teacher,” Sheikh said. “That’s the income bracket.”

It takes much more than occupations to help define Pierstorff and Sheikh, though.

Pierstorff is a former Modesto poet laureate, former State Theatre board president, two-time contestant on “American Ninja Warrior,” creator and host of The ILL LIST, executive director of Modesto Artists Movement and a Modesto Junior College English professor — to name a few accomplishments.

And Sheikh has collected a healthy list herself: Modesto Porchfest co-founder, Stanislaus Community Foundation administrative assistant, vice president of the Stanislaus County Commission for Women, partnership manager at Stanislaus Partners in Education, Modesto Children’s Museum advisory council member, and mother of three.

Pierstorff met Sheikh at CSU Long Beach when he was finishing a graduate program in English and she was pursuing her undergraduate degree.

He was teaching part time at local community colleges and wanted to find a full-time position. Sheikh suggested he apply beyond Southern California.

“I was like, ‘What exists outside of Southern California other than San Francisco?’” Pierstorff said. “Truly ignorant to the entire Central Valley.”

Modesto Junior College offered him a job, the couple moved to Modesto in 2000 “and never looked back,” he said.

Pierstorff was 25 and Sheikh was 21 when they made the move. They got married the same year and started a family.

When the couple landed in Modesto, Pierstorff hit the ground running, engaging in the community by starting a poetry slam at Prospect Theater Project, which has led to a bigger event, The ILL LIST, at the State Theatre.

Though it was she who suggested the move outside of Southern California, the adjustment to an unfamiliar place did not come as easily for Sheikh.

“I fully floundered,” Sheikh said. “I’m an introvert, so I wasn’t gonna be like Sam and go to all the things. I just wanted to sort of be miserable for a minute.”

The couple had a son in 2001, and through Me-wuk Child Development Lab — a preschool program on MJC’s West Campus — the couple became connected with a network of families “that were doing really cool things,” Sheikh said.

From there, the couple enrolled their son in Fremont Open Plan, where Sheikh began helping out in the classroom and volunteering at events.

“It gave me the confidence to branch out and see what else was out there,” she said.

Sheikh was a stay-at-home mom for more than a decade before meeting Kate Trompetter through mutual friends.

Together, and with Tricia Rosenow, they started Mod Shop in 2013 — an event held annually the Saturday after Thanksgiving at downtown Modesto businesses where local artists and creatives can sell their wares.

“That sort of catapulted my interest in supporting moms who were very much like myself — who had a crafty side to themselves and were motivated but didn’t want to have a full-blown business,” Sheikh said.

But now she does have a full-blown business, as Queen Bean is her brainchild.

“This is her time to launch,” Pierstorff said. “This is her vision. She’s CEO. So that’s fun to watch.”

Reflecting on her time in Modesto, Sheikh said, “I just feel like Modesto gave me a safe place to land — even though I cried the whole first year that I moved here.”

She missed life in Southern California at first, but said Modesto gave her an opportunity to figure out who she wanted to be.

“All of our best friends and all of our family still live (in Los Angeles) and they’re so sick of me saying, ‘Modesto really is magic,’” Sheikh said. “The reason why I say that is a lot of the momentum that we’ve been privileged enough to experience is genuinely because the connections you make are real.”

Pierstorff said the same passion for bolstering the community did not exist when the couple were in Long Beach. Part of the reason is because larger communities already have everything, he said, so you have to try to plug yourself into those pockets. Modesto, on the other hand, is rich with possibilities.

“We love this community and we’re just trying to share that,” he said. “Not everybody loves the community as much as we do and they’re just missing networking or connections or events.”

That’s what the couple’s vision is for Queen Bean: to create a space to highlight local artists, creators and small business owners, as well as to provide a safe hangout for the city’s youth and a place to form connections and network.

Also, to give back to the community that has poured into them.

“Everything we do is like a love letter to Modesto,” Pierstorff said. “The community is behind us, so how can we lose?”

To stay up to date with events and new information about Queen Bean Coffee & Social House, visit facebook.com/queenbeancoffeehouse.

This story was originally published November 6, 2024, 3:10 PM.

The Modesto Bee

209-253-9007

Dominique Williams writes about new business, restaurant and retail developments for The Modesto Bee. She is a Ripon native and a graduate of Sacramento State.

A mom, dad and son trio are opening a second location of their fusion restaurant in Stanislaus County.

Terracotta Poke Bowl has one location in Turlock and soon will have another in Modesto. It’s owned by Nick Chan and his parents, Carol Li and Anthony Chan.

“We opened our first restaurant just before the pandemic and it’s been a journey full of hurdles,” Nick Chan said. “Thanks to (Turlock’s) support, we persevered and are now proud to establish our second location here in Modesto.”

But opening a second restaurant came with even more hurdles. The family faced challenges with the county health department for two years before getting the green light, Chan said.

“From rewiring outdated electrical ground systems and addressing a grease trap that hadn’t been drained in over a decade, to correcting code violations left by previous tenants, we’ve completely remodeled the space to meet strict regulations,” he said.

Monday, Chan and his parents will get to show off the remodel — and their unusual menu — to Modesto. The restaurant’s soft opening, at 1801 H St., Suite A3, will be from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Originally called Terracotta Pub, Terracotta Poke Bowl serves Hawaiian, Asian and Mexican cuisines.

The name change came in 2020 based on customer recommendations and to better reflect the restaurant’s focus, Chan said.

Terracotta was Turlock’s first poke bowl place. Chan said he felt a poke restaurant was just what the town needed, and with his parent’s 20-year-long background in the restaurant industry, it “made sense” for them to start one together.

“Even when we lived overseas in Hong Kong, my grandparents and great-grandparents were also restaurateurs, so it felt natural to continue the family tradition,” he said.

At the Turlock restaurant, customers can order traditional Mexican foods like burritos, tacos, nachos and quesadillas. If that’s not what they’re craving, Asian options include fried rice, shrimp entrees, egg rolls and potstickers.

The restaurant also serves build-your-own poke bowls. And if you can’t decide what type of food you want, there are fusion options like poke burritos, poke tacos and poke bowls with meats like asada and chicken rather than raw seafood.

Additionally, Turlock customers can grab a cold beer to enjoy with their meal. Draft and bottled varieties are available at the restaurant at 3831 Crowell Road.

Why the unusual menu combination?

“It’s just all the food I loved in college,” the Chico State graduate told The Bee in 2019, when the first restaurant opened. “I just loved having a beer, watching sports, eating poke and Mexican food.”

However, the menu in Modesto will be slightly different. The restaurant is in the Smart and Final shopping center near Los Lagos Taqueria. With that, the family has decided to not offer the Mexican dishes that are on the menu in Turlock.

The meats — asada, pollo, pastor and barbecue pork — still will be options for the fusion poke bowls. Another difference: Beer will not be served in Modesto. “(Modesto) is a quick-service restaurant rather than a sit-down establishment,” Chan said. “I will aim to get more creative, adding or adjusting items to suit the new audience.”

Boba, which was introduced in Turlock around a month ago, will be on the menu in Modesto.

Chan’s parents will focus on managing the original restaurant while he takes the lead on the expansion.

“The second location is my opportunity to show them that I am fully capable of running the restaurant on my own, allowing them to finally retire and enjoy life after work,” he said.

The restaurant, off of H and 19th streets, will be open weekdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from noon to 8 p.m.

The Modesto Bee

209-253-9007

Dominique Williams writes about new business, restaurant and retail developments for The Modesto Bee. She is a Ripon native and a graduate of Sacramento State.