One dead in California floods as state braces for brutal week of Christmas storms | California
In California, one person has died from severe flooding as residents across the state brace for a week of severe storms predicted to bring heavy rainfall over the Christmas weekend.
Authorities in Redding, a city in Northern California, said a driver died Sunday after becoming trapped in his vehicle.
While the cause was being investigated, Mayor Mike Littau said he received a 911 call from someone trapped in his water-filled car. Redding police entered the water, broke the car windows, pulled the victim out and performed CPR on him, but he could not be saved.
“[The] city fears rain from Tuesday to Friday will have larger impacts [than] what we experienced last night… today is a good day to prepare as we know more rain is coming,” Littau said. he wrote on Facebook.
Meanwhile, Pineapple Express The river, a nickname for a powerful atmospheric river originating in the tropical Pacific, is expected to drag storms up and down the state this week, bringing heavy rains, high winds and the risk of further flooding.
Southern California may face biggest christmas storm Heavy rains will hit the region starting from Tuesday for years. Between then and Saturday, forecasters expect 4 to 8 inches (10 cm to 20 cm) in coastal areas and 8 to 12 inches (KTLA) in the foothills reported On Monday.
It’s already been a wet winter for states in the western United States. In December, an unusually powerful atmospheric river system caused deadly flooding, levee breaches and power outages in Oregon and Washington.
And this week’s storms come a month after a late November fall storm dumped 5.5 inches of rain on Los Angeles, making it the wettest November in decades. What’s on many people’s minds in November and now is the risk of mudslides and heavy debris flows in burn-scarred areas where the Eaton and Palisades fires devastated neighborhoods and hillsides earlier in the year.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced a flash flood warning for the area starting Tuesday and urged people to be careful when traveling for the upcoming holidays. The city is also deploying staff from the Los Angeles homeless services authority (Lahsa) to provide supplies and hotel vouchers to those living outdoors.
“City of Los Angeles staff are preparing for the storm this holiday week. First responders, public works crews and utility personnel are ready to respond to potential impacts from weather conditions,” Bass said in a statement Monday. “Angelenos who plan to travel this holiday week to spend time with family and loved ones should use caution on the roads, plan ahead, and stay informed.
Atmospheric rivers often form in tropical regions where warm temperatures can cause water vapor to rise into the atmosphere, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Powerful atmospheric rivers can carry extraordinary amounts of moisture. Studies have shown that they can carry an average of seven to 15 times the water that the Mississippi River discharges daily, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
They occur globally but are particularly important on the West Coast of the United States, where they account for 30% to 50% of annual precipitation, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Associated Press contributed reporting
