Heavy rains caused flooding and killed at least two people in California. About 10,000 people in the state have been warned to leave their homes. The Weather Forecast Center issued a level 4 of 4 warning for excessive rain in central and northern California. According to the National Weather Service, some isolated areas of the state had more than a foot of rain.
At the moment, around 25 million people are under flood warning and more than 25,000 are without electricity. The situation could get worse, as the storms tend to continue through the weekend. On Thursday night (9), Governor Gavin Newsom asked President Joe Biden for a declaration of a state of emergency, paving the way for financial aid. Of the 58 counties, 34 were under states of emergency due to previous storms and this week’s threat of severe weather.
CalTrans, the state’s department of transportation, has about 4,000 employees working 12-hour shifts, clearing fallen trees and opening drainage culverts to minimize flooding. The California National Guard also deployed 36 vehicles in high water to respond to rescues.
In Fresno County, three elderly women, including a 104-year-old, were rescued after becoming trapped in a home. On Friday afternoon (10), flooding in the county “increased considerably” and an evacuation order was established for all residents.
In Springville, Tulare County, footage taken by a resident shows a river overflowing its banks and hitting a home. (see below). The Tulare County Sheriff’s Office said Friday night it was receiving reports of widespread flooding, collapsed bridges, downed trees and severed roads.
In the Soquel region of Santa Cruz county, around 700 residents were stranded after a broken pipe led to intense flooding and the collapse of the only road linking the community to the rest of the region. Residents will remain isolated until a new crossing is prepared, which could take days.
According to meteorologists, this week’s atmospheric rivers — which are long, narrow bands of moisture in the atmosphere that carry warm air and water vapor from the tropics — could be even more threatening due to their heat. From late December through January, many areas across the state were flooded by torrential downpours from atmospheric rivers that lasted for consecutive days.