Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, has officially declared a state of emergency in Southern California due to an intense winter storm that is causing unprecedented levels of rain and snowfall. This emergency order affects eight counties in the southern part of the state, including Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura.
The declaration enables the state to allocate necessary resources and deploy the California National Guard to assist in handling potential emergencies. Governor Newsom has not ruled out the possibility of extending the emergency declaration to other regions that may be affected by the storm. The National Weather Service in Los Angeles has issued flood watches for the entire metropolitan area, underscoring the severity of the weather event.
Over 500,000 residents in California have already experienced power outages due to the extreme weather conditions, further exacerbating the challenges posed by the storm. These conditions include heavy rainfall, strong winds, and snowfall in certain areas.
As a result of the powerful winds, a sailboat off the coast of Long Beach suffered damage to its mast, leading to the rescue of nineteen individuals. Fortunately, only one person sustained injuries, and the boat did not sink. During a press conference, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass described the storm as a significant weather event with the potential to make history.
The storm is expected to bring strong winds, thunderstorms, and the possibility of brief tornadoes, as highlighted by the Democrat mayor. As a precautionary measure, residents in several cities in Ventura County have been urged to evacuate their homes to avoid potential flooding.
Thousands of individuals are still on high alert for flash flood warnings, especially in areas that have previously been affected by wildfires and along the coastal regions from the California-Mexico border to northern San Francisco Bay. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued warnings stating that this storm could break “historic” records for accumulated rainfall, with expected amounts exceeding 15 centimeters.
The NWS has also cautioned about the potential for heavy rainfall rates over 3 to 6-hour periods, which could result in mudslides, debris flow, and rapid water overflows in local rivers and streams. Furthermore, wind warnings have been issued for approximately 30 million people residing in interior areas across the state. Particularly, the foothills and mountains, which are anticipating record snowfall, could experience wind gusts of nearly 150 kilometers per hour.
