Today, the US National Weather Service reported that the “relentless parade of cyclones” striking California persisted overnight and was predicted to migrate further to the north.
At least 19 people are known to have perished as a result of the recent sequence of storms that have pummeled the western United States, bringing rainfall levels not seen in some areas for more than 150 years and triggering huge flooding and landslides.
A woman’s body was discovered in her submerged vehicle in Sonoma County a day after she made a desperate 911 call, while the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office verified a 33-year-old man was discovered dead in the American River. On Wednesday, a five-year-old boy from San Luis Obispo who was washed away by floodwaters remained missing.
Communities have been wiped away, powerlines have been downed, and roads have been blocked by rockslides as a relentless deluge pummels California. A considerable portion of northern California remains under a flood warning or winter weather advisory.
Today, the US National Weather Service reported that the “relentless parade of cyclones” striking California persisted overnight and was predicted to migrate further to the north. Pictured: Cars are abandoned on a flooded roadway in east Santa Barbara.
This aerial photograph taken on January 10, 2023 shows a flooded neighborhood in Merced, California.
The NWS warned that the strongest rains are expected to affect northwestern California during the next few days, with a few inches of precipitation probable.
A later advisory stated that the weather system will also affect other Pacific Northwest states through early Saturday AM.
This rain will fall on top of weeks of downpours that have saturated the ground, leaving rivers ready to overflow and slopes at risk of collapsing.
A 43-year-old woman’s body was discovered in a flooded vehicle in Sonoma County, bringing the statewide death toll from extreme weather-related accidents to at least 19.
The woman was identified as Daphne Fontino, who had made a final desperate 911 call a day earlier when her automobile became engulfed in floodwaters.
In the village of Aptos, close to Santa Cruz, locals were cleaning up after flooding.
Doug Spinelli told AFP, “It’s probably the worst flood I’ve seen here since I’ve lived here in 1984.”
Aptos Creek was gushing so violently that I feared it would pull out our pedestrian footbridge, and tree trunks were being pushed down the river at a pace of around one every 30 seconds.
It was incredible to see how much rubbish and wood were streaming down the creek.
Governor Gavin Newsom, who visited weather-ravaged Capitola on Tuesday, stated that even light precipitation could be troublesome due to the persistent storms.
He informed reporters that the amount of rainfall and its intensity do not reveal the whole story.
“We’re drenched, and so is this area. And now even little amounts of precipitation could have an equal or greater effect on the ground conditions.’
According to the tracking website Poweroutage.us, more than 35,000 homes and businesses were without power in California on Thursday morning, and there have been tragedies around the state.
Wednesday, a five-year-old boy who vanished in San Luis Obispo flooding remained missing.
Monday morning, as Lindsay Doan drove son Kyle to school, the family automobile was washed away by floodwaters.
Monday morning, while transporting her five-year-old son Kyle to school, Lindsay Doan’s family vehicle was washed away by floodwaters. He has not yet been located by rescuers.
A rescue crew looks for 5-year-old Kyle Doan, who was washed away by violent floodwaters on January 11, 2023, in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States.
A map from the National Weather Service depicts the precipitation that fell between December 26 and January 10
She was able to exit the truck, but she was unable to open Kyle’s door.
He was composed. The youngster was attempting to say, “Remain calm, Mom,” the boy’s father, Brian Doan, told the Los Angeles Times. She was making every effort.
When she eventually pulled him out of the automobile, the current had already separated them.
Kyle was washed downstream by the creek despite being rescued by nearby neighbours.
“My wife feels terrible that he survived and she did not,” Brian Doan added.
She did the correct thing by removing him from the vehicle. The San Miguel Fire Department informed me that they observed the car being moved and flipped over in the creek.
However, he was adamant that his wife had committed no wrongdoing.
Doan stated, “She made the best decisions she could.” I must continue to emphasize that. She was unable to remain in the car with him. Eventually, the currents were going to overwhelm the vehicle… They escaped. That was the correct action to do.
Doan admitted he is prepared for the worst after the search was delayed again on Wednesday owing to poor visibility.
“You know, I’ve seen enough,” she said. It is difficult,’ Doan said.
You are aware of the odds. It is difficult to remain hopeful, despite the fact that I am supportive of my wife’s efforts. The first night was hell on earth; all I could think was, “Oh my God, why haven’t they found him yet?”
Kyle Doan is characterized as having dirty blonde hair, hazel eyes, a height of 4 feet and a weight of approximately 52 pounds. The last time he was observed, he was wearing a black puffer jacket with a red lining, blue trousers, and blue/gray Nike tennis shoes.
The Sheriff of San Luis Obispo County stated that they were continuing to search for the child, including with underwater teams.
The San Luis Obispo Tribune was informed by spokesperson Tony Cipolla that “we will search until we find him.”
This aerial photograph taken on January 10, 2023 shows a flooded neighborhood in Merced, California.
Aerial image of storm debris along the beach at a sand-covered parking lot in Aptos, California on January 10, 2022.
According to a tally by the Los Angeles Times, the 18 confirmed deaths in the state include drivers found in submerged vehicles, individuals injured by falling trees, a husband and woman killed in a rockfall, and individuals whose bodies were located in floodwaters.
Winter storms are common in California, which receives the majority of its yearly precipitation in a very brief period.
However, the current systems are nasty, since they have brought San Francisco more rainfall in two weeks than at any time since 1866.
Scientists assert that global warming, which is caused by human activity, is intensifying weather phenomena, such as powerful storms and severe droughts.
Despite the agony, the storms, which are predicted to continue pummeling California for another week, are bringing much-needed rainfall to a region of the country that has been parched for over two decades.
But even the massive amounts of precipitation are insufficient to rebuild depleted reservoirs and aquifers.
Shasta Lake, the state’s largest reservoir, was barely at two-thirds of its historical normal at the beginning of January, according to data from the department of water resources.