Destructive Storm System Moves Through California
A potent atmospheric river weather system, which has now largely passed through California, has left a trail of destruction and claimed at least six lives. The storm drenched vast portions of the state, with lingering thunderstorms on Monday posing a significant new threat of mudslides, particularly in parts of Los Angeles county recently scarred by wildfires.
Search and Recovery Efforts Underway
Authorities are continuing a desperate search for a five-year-old girl who was swept into the ocean by 15-foot waves at a state beach in Monterey county on Friday. In a tragic turn, the girl's father, identified as 39-year-old Yuji Hu from Calgary, Alberta, lost his life while attempting to rescue his daughter, as confirmed by sheriff’s officials on Sunday.
In Northern California, a separate incident claimed another life. A 71-year-old man died in Sutter county, north of Sacramento, after his vehicle was swept off a flooded bridge on Friday, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Further south, off the coast of San Diego, a wooden boat suspected of carrying migrants from Mexico capsized in the stormy seas. The US Coast Guard reported that this incident left at least four people dead and four others hospitalised.
Flood Advisories and Ongoing Risks
Flood advisories remained active through Sunday afternoon for Los Angeles, Ventura, and Santa Barbara counties. The National Weather Service issued a stark warning, stating that due to the abundant rainfall over the past couple of days, it would not take much additional rain to cause further flooding and rockslide conditions.
The storm, a long plume of tropical moisture that formed over the Pacific Ocean, began saturating the San Francisco Bay Area last Wednesday night before unleashing torrential rain over Southern California on Friday and Saturday. Coastal Santa Barbara county received more than 4 inches of rain, while parts of the Sierra Nevada were blanketed with over a foot of snow.
Scattered rain is forecast to potentially continue through Tuesday in the southern part of the state, with another storm system expected to arrive as early as Thursday. Scientists warn that amid the climate crisis, warming oceans are supercharging such atmospheric river storms, increasing their deadliness and economic cost.
