State of Emergency Declared as California
A very strong and dangerous storm hit California from Saturday to Monday. It brought a lot of rain, heavy snow, and strong winds. These caused big problems, like power outages and issues with traveling.
In the mountains, the winds were extremely powerful, reaching hurricane force. On Ward Mountain, which is 10,820 feet tall, a gust of wind was measured at 162 mph. In 2017, Ward Mountain set a record for the fastest wind in the state at 199 mph. Other places also reported strong winds, like 148 mph at Palisades Tahoe and 125 mph at Mammoth Mountain.
In the Sierra Nevada mountains, there was expected to be 3-6 feet of snow. This could lead to roads closing, avalanches, and blizzard conditions. In lower areas, the winds were not as extreme but still very high. They caused trees to fall and knocked out power for almost 900,000 people on Sunday evening.
San Francisco airport had gusts of 67 mph, and Sacramento had winds up to 59 mph. Sadly, a man died in Yuba City while trying to remove a tree that fell on his house.
Governor Gavin Newsom declared an emergency for eight California counties, including Los Angeles and San Diego. Flooding was everywhere in the state, making roads look like rivers. In some places, more than 10 inches of rain fell. Downtown Los Angeles got 4.1 inches of rain on Sunday, which is more than the usual monthly amount. This was the wettest day since 2004.
The rain is not stopping yet. On Monday, the worst of it will be in Southern California. The areas from L.A. county to San Diego, including the Inland Empire, will have a lot of rain. The mountains will get even more rain than Los Angeles, and there’s a high risk of dangerous flooding. The rain is expected to be too much in a short time, putting people in danger.
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