California storm: US state faces 'life-threatening flooding,' emergency declared
A powerful storm from the Pacific Ocean hit the west coast of the United States (US) on Sunday, bringing "life-threatening flooding" to California. The state's Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a storm-related state of emergency in several counties to support the ongoing relief situation. The mix of warm Pacific air, strong onshore winds, and cooler air could lead to thunderstorms and torrential rain, the weather department said.
Emergency declared in 8 counties in California
The emergency declaration in California covers eight counties, including Los Angeles and San Diego. According to reports, mandatory evacuations have been ordered in parts of Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. An official release said that the state has "mobilized over 8,500 prepositioned emergency response assets that are ready to respond to potential flooding, landslides, travel impacts, and 911 calls." Flash flood warnings are also in effect for a large area of Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties.
Flash flood warning in LA
Residents urged to seek higher ground
Amid the natural disaster, experts have warned that communities most at risk are those on or below hillsides. Residents have also been urged to follow local alerts, seek higher ground, and avoid walking or driving through debris flows. Separately, heavy snow will be the headline event for higher elevations, including the Sierra Nevada and Northern California mountain ranges.
Flight operations obstructed by storm
According to CNN, hundreds of thousands of flights have been cancelled or delayed across all California airports. San Francisco International Airport issued a ground delay for departures until early Monday because of the gushing wind. Meanwhile, heavy rain is expected across the state, with 4 to 8 inches possible in coastal and valley areas, and 8 to 15 inches likely in mountain ranges. National Weather Service meteorologist Robbie Monroe has called the storm "potentially historic."
2,00,000 left without power access
The storm left over 2,00,000 utility customers without power across California as of Sunday evening (local time). Over 9,00,000 power outages were reported across the flood-hit state. Hurricane-force wind warnings are also in effect for waters off Big Sur, south of San Francisco, with gusts of 92 mph possible, the weather office added.
