Over 800,000 Californians still without power as intense atmospheric river brings threat of mudslides and flooding.

 

• Rare high risk for flooding: On Sunday, the weather prediction center issued a warning of “life threatening flash and urban flash flooding,” extending the uncommon Level 4 of 4 risk of extreme rainfall to Southern California, including Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Oxnard. Three to six inches of rain will fall on the region at rainfall rates as high as one inch per hour. A larger portion of coastal California, including San Francisco, is under a Level 3 risk.

• A month’s worth of rain possible in Los Angeles: Widespread rainfall totals of 3 to 6 inches are predicted for Central and Southern California; for most, this is more than a month’s worth of rain. At a press conference on Friday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass stated that there are signs the storm might be as powerful as Tropical Storm Hilary from August of last year and urged locals to take “common sense precautions.”

• Some residents told to evacuate: Communities in Santa Barbara, San José, Los Angeles, and Ventura County have orders requiring them to evacuate. Authorities alerted locals to the possibility of landslides and floods that might be “life-threatening” due to the atmospheric event. Due to the extreme weather, several Santa Barbara County school districts have also canceled classes on Monday.

• First ever hurricane force wind warning: For the first time in its history, the National Weather Service in San Francisco issued a hurricane force wind warning on Sunday. All across the state, 40 to 60 mph winds are predicted, with isolated gusts reaching 95 mph in the mountains and foothills. In inland portions of almost the whole state, from Redding to San Diego, almost thirty million people are under wind advisories and strong wind warnings.

• “Near impossible” travel in the mountains: Significant amounts of snowfall are also anticipated to be brought by the storm to eastern California and the Nevada border. The meteorological service predicts that through Monday, the Sierra Nevada will have heavy, wet snowfall with accumulation rates of two to three inches per hour. Travel over 5000–6000 feet is predicted to be “nearly impossible” due to dangerous wind gusts that could cause whiteout conditions, according to the weather service.

• Power outages growing: The tracking website PowerOutage.us reports that over 800,000 people in California are without power, and that the number of outages is steadily increasing as rain and strong winds sweep in, especially along the coast. Stronger wind gusts are predicted to continue into tomorrow evening and into the early hours of the following day, with a concentration across central and southern California.

• Rain and wind cause flight delays: FlightAware, a tracking website, reports that 122 flights out of San Francisco International Airport and at least 143 planes entering the airport have had delays. On Sunday, at least 100 planes were canceled.

• Sporting events affected: Due to the extreme weather, both the PGA and NASCAR postponed their weekend’s events in California. The PGA Tour declared that the final round of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament on Sunday would be rescheduled for Monday, while NASCAR rescheduled the Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum from Sunday to Saturday night.

State braces for flooded roadways and swollen rivers

This atmospheric river, a long, narrow moisture belt that travels hundreds of miles carrying saturated air before releasing it like a fire hose, follows directly after another storm that dumped record amounts of rain on most of California, including Los Angeles.

However, compared to the first storm, this one is more slower and is predicted to stall as it approaches land, bringing with it a significantly longer period of rain.

The weather agency predicts that Sunday and Tuesday will be when the storm is at its deadliest.

 

The state’s southern and central coasts are predicted to experience the highest levels of precipitation and flooding. The metro areas of San Diego and Los Angeles are included in this.

In addition to the 2.49 inches of rain that fell on Thursday, the city of Los Angeles may receive nearly a year’s worth of precipitation in just the first week of February.

During a press conference on Saturday, Eric Schoening of the National Weather Service stated, “This damaging flooding will be a threat to lives and property.” “We implore you to turn around if you come across a flooded roadway so you don’t drown.”

There might be significant elevations in creeks, streams, and rivers, as well as mud and rock slides, and many highways could flood.

San Francisco’s National Weather Service recorded a landslide in the city on Sunday. Additionally, the storm caused “very high winds,” floods, and tree toppling in Santa Barbara, which is more than 300 miles south, according to Sgt. Ethan Ragsdale of the Santa Barbara Police Department, who spoke with CNN.

The prediction center issued a warning that rain might fall in portions of Southern California’s Transverse Ranges in less than a day, with as much as eight inches and possibly up to ten inches in certain places.

 

On Sunday, California Governor Gavin Newsom went to the state’s operations center in Mather to get an update on the most recent weather predictions and the state’s reaction activities.

The California National Guard is prepared to deploy quickly, 1,200 winter equipment pieces are available to clear snow and ice from state roadways, and 21 swift water rescue teams are on standby, according to a Friday announcement from Newsom’s office. The state has prepositioned more than 7 million sandbags and is ready to feed and shelter more than 37,000 people.

The director of the California Department of Transportation, Tony Tavares, stated on CNN Newsroom on Sunday that his agency is “coordinating across multiple state departments, regional and local agencies to ensure the safety of all Californians.”

In order to prepare for storms, more than 4,000 people and portable pumps and generators have been stationed throughout the state, according to Tavares.

As some teams in Northern California monitor wildfire burn scar areas, others deal with the snow and ice in the mountains, and crews along the southern coast wait for significant flooding, Tavares described the department’s operations as “all hands on deck.”

 

In response to any possible demands for assistance, more than 8,500 workers, including swift water and helicopter rescue teams, have been stationed throughout the state, according to Nancy Ward, head of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.

Ward stated during a press conference on Saturday that “these next storms are going to be impactful and dangerous.” “They’re the most dangerous natural disasters we have; each year, storm damage and flooding kill more people than wildfires.”

Strong onshore winds will have an impact on northern and central California through Sunday, the National Weather Service warned, finally moving to southern California into Sunday night.

Almost 30 million people are impacted by wind advisories and high wind warnings that cover almost the whole state of California, from Redding through San Diego.