Severe rainstorms across California have left three individuals dead as of Christmas night, local authorities confirmed. The storms, characterized by heavy rainfall amounts reaching up to 11 inches in some areas of Los Angeles County, have triggered floods and mudslides, prompting emergency evacuations and road closures.
California’s Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles and surrounding counties on Wednesday. Emergency responders have been engaged in multiple rescues, helping people trapped in vehicles as floodwaters continue to rise. As of Thursday evening, nearly 100,000 Californians were reported to be without power due to the severe weather conditions.
The US Weather Prediction Center has issued warnings for numerous flash flooding occurrences, advising that many streams could overflow, impacting larger rivers. The rainfall also produced dangerous conditions, such as a 64-year-old man who died from a fallen tree in San Diego and a 74-year-old who drowned in Redding while being rescued from his vehicle.
In Mendocino County, a woman in her 70s died after being swept into the ocean by a large wave at MacKerricher State Park. Evacuations were ordered in parts of San Bernardino County, with flash flood warnings active in the San Francisco Bay area. Wind gusts in the Bay Area have reached speeds exceeding 100 mph.
In Altadena, mudslides ensued in areas stripped of vegetation from earlier wildfires, exacerbating flooding risks. The storms are attributed to several atmospheric rivers transporting moisture from the tropics, coinciding with one of the busiest travel weeks of the year.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also declared an emergency and urged residents to exercise caution while traveling during the ongoing storms, underscoring the potential dangers posed by this severe weather.
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