California has been hit by a series of winter storms that have brought abnormal rainfall and gusty winds to the state. The elements struck the region at the peak of Christmas travel, blocking highways and forcing thousands of people to evacuate. Forecasters warn of a critical danger of landslides and infrastructure destruction. This is reported by Bloomberg, writes UNN.
Details
According to the National Weather Service, Southern California is expected to receive up to 15 centimeters of precipitation over the next three days. In the Sierra Nevada mountains, up to 2.5 meters of snow are forecast. Peter Mullinax, a meteorologist at the US Weather Prediction Center, describes the situation as extraordinary.
"This is the worst it can be. California will have a very difficult Christmas Eve and Christmas," he said.
In addition to rain, the state is suffering from winds of up to 112 kilometers per hour, causing massive tree falls and power line breaks. About 41 million people in California and Nevada are currently at risk of flooding.
Evacuation and transport paralysis
Los Angeles County authorities have announced a mandatory evacuation for residents of areas affected by recent wildfires, as the moisture-saturated soil has lost stability. Experts warn against any travel in the risk zone.
"This is not the day you want to deal with life-threatening rock and mudslides," he said.
The situation is complicated by the fact that a second storm is expected on Thursday, which will increase the load on drainage systems and power grids. Strong winds have also begun to affect air travel, causing massive delays and cancellations of flights at major airports in the region.