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More bad weather is expected Sunday after three weeks of unprecedented rainfall that killed at least 19 people in California.
If California is used to extreme weather conditions, however, such a sequence is out of the ordinary. Since December 27 these are water discharge that fell on the most populous state of the United States, causing floods, landslides, and mudslides. On Saturday, a major shower of rain – and mountain snow – further swept through many areas of the state whose soil is already saturated with water.
Power lines were hit, while fields and roads were flooded. Nearly 26 million Californians were still under a flood warning as of Saturday night, according to the NWS, and tens of thousands of them have been ordered to evacuate.
Waves of heavy rainfall continue to batter California. Heavy rain will continue to bring the threat of flooding and mudslides/landslides. Dangerous travel due to heavy mountain snow and blowing snow from CA to CO. pic.twitter.com/6LQXmxC6zh
— National Weather Service (@NWS) 15 January 2023
Joe Biden has therefore ordered federal aid to help residents and communities repair the damage caused by these severe winter storms, according to a statement from the White House.
” atmospheric river »
Especially since” it is not finished “, California Governor Gavin Newsom warned at a press conference, arguing that although the rains decreased in intensity, the ground was waterlogged and therefore the risk of flooding remained significant. He urged Californians to be vigilant after three weeks of deluge: ” I urge all of us to maintain our vigilance and common sense for the next 24 to 48 hours. »
A new” atmospheric river “, a narrow band in the atmosphere that transports huge amounts of moisture from the tropics, is expected on Monday, a holiday in the United States, bringing” new extreme rainfall waves “, warns the National Weather Service (NWS). The NWS expects “ catastrophic floods in the lower Salinas River Valley, an important agricultural region south of San Francisco Bay.
Caught by the waves
In the mountains, this precipitation translates into heavy snowfall, with more than a meter expected over the weekend in the Sierra Nevada, authorities are warning of avalanche risk and advising against any movement.
At least 19 people have died since the beginning of this series of bad weather. In particular, drivers were found in their cars caught in the waves, people were hit by falling trees, a couple was killed by a landslide and bodies were washed away by the floods.
However, the torrential rains of the past few weeks will not be enough to end the drought that has hit this western American state hard for two decades, according to specialists.
(With AFP)
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