- According to data from PowerOutage.us, more than 540,000 homes and businesses were already without power in California as of 1 a.m. local time (4 a.m. ET) on Sunday morning.
- Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Wednesday as California was engulfed by rain and snow, producing flooding across the state.
According to data from PowerOutage.us, more than 540,000 homes and businesses were already without power in California as of 1 a.m. local time (4 a.m. ET) on Sunday morning, after torrential downpours and high winds battered the northern part of the state, as forecasters warned of a “relentless parade of cyclones”. In a bulletin, the National Weather Service said, “Round after round of heavy rain on saturated soils will produce considerable flood potential with rapid river rises, mudslides, and burn scar flash floods or debris flows,” the National Weather Service said in a bulletin, adding that “gusty winds may down trees and power lines.”
The West Coast “remains under the target of a relentless parade of cyclones, with terrain already saturated from previous rainfall, additional bursts of heavy rain will lead to a heightened threat of flash flooding and the rapid rise of river levels” and will intensify over the Pacific Ocean while moving towards land the NWS said. The first of the heavier storms was due to arrive Monday, and the agency issued a flood watch for a large swath of Northern and Central California with 6 to 12 inches of rain expected through Wednesday in the Sacramento-area foothills.
Early on Sunday, The NWS’ Sacramento office tweeted that parts of the Sacramento Valley were experiencing “strong winds with gusts up to 60 mph,” as well as “numerous trees and power lines down with power outages.” This has resulted in the death of at least six people since new years eve. Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Wednesday as California was engulfed by rain and snow, producing flooding across the state. Also, on Friday, San Francisco Public Works announced they were able to supply ten sandbags per household and business in preparation for the weekend’s wet weather.