The string of atmospheric rivers, long, and narrow regions in the atmosphere with the potential of carrying moisture thousands of miles away, have worsened the situation. The California floods have forced communities to turn into lakes, crippled highways, and prompted evacuations of thousands of residents.
California is grieving under one of the most horrific disasters, 19 lives have been lost so far, it cleans up the disaster of one and soon preps up for another. Floods have affected more than 26 million people in the state, which has already been ravaged by a series of catastrophic storms, moreover, the weather forecast has said the situation is set to deteriorate further.
Governor Gavin Newsom in a statement addressing the residents said, “This isn’t over; we must remain vigilant. Stay safe, make the necessary preparations, and limit non-essential travel,” he further added, “Floods, landslides, and storms don’t care who you are or where you live – it’ll hit you just the same. We have lost too much – too many people to these storms and in these waters.”
Residents in Monterey County on the Californian Central Coast were ordered to evacuate low-lying areas in the Carmel River Saturday afternoon. The county officials based in Sacramento ordered residents of the Wilton area to flee again due to the anticipated rise in the Cosumnes River.
US President Joe Biden approved the request of California for a disaster declaration on Saturday, freeing the federal aid supplement recovery efforts in areas of the state affected by storms.
“The president’s action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in the counties of Merced, Sacramento, and Santa Cruz,” the White House said in a statement.
On the other hand, Governor Newsom tweeted “This federal aid is key to recovery efforts so Californians can get back on their feet faster.” Although water and weather conditions improved enough on Sunday afternoon that allowed the rescue operations to continue. Reports citing the weather department shows, the surrounding floodwater in San Miguel has indicated a drop in water levels that have allowed the crew to search new areas.
Storms and flooding continued for the day as the National Weather Service warned on Sunday, while dry days were expected starting on Tuesday,
“The reality is that this is just the eighth of what we anticipate will be nine atmospheric rivers – we’re not done,” the Associated Press quoted Newsom saying at a briefing with local leaders in which he urged people to be vigilant about safety for the next 24 to 48 hours.
As per PowerOutage.us, compared to Saturday morning, when more than 68,000 customers were without power across the state, 21,000 customers were experiencing power outages as of Sunday morning.
Reportedly, out of 19 deaths, three people died after a tree fell over them, while others were overtaken by powerful waters of flood or found dead in or near their vehicles. Search and rescue operations by national guard troops and law enforcement were underway in central California after a five-year-old boy was swept away by floodwaters near the small village of San Miguel.