California (Washington Insider Magazine)—California is at risk of flooding from an “atmospheric river.” Parts of Southern California will see constant rainfall from Friday. It has already caused devastation on some routes.
The storm system flooded parts of the seaside of Southern California. It also includes 1 to 5 inches of rain from early Wednesday to late Thursday. However, some areas experienced more than 6 inches of rainfall. The rainfall led to knee-deep floodwaters in some areas. Road closures and an evacuation warning for residents in Ventura County are also issued just days before the holiday weekend.
Meanwhile, Thursday carried the atmospheric river’s worst effects. Heavy rain still risks flooding in some impacted areas and outside California.
According to the Weather Prediction Center, a tiny risk for excessive rainfall – Level 2 of 4 – is expected on Friday for territories of Southern California. As the atmospheric river continues to drive east Friday, regions of southern Arizona are also under the same level of rainfall threat. Up to 2 inches of rain is expected.
The rain will disturb the schedule for both, the weather service said. “Impacts to air travel can be expected across much of the western U.S., with significant delays possible.”
According to the National Weather Service, Flood alerts are also in effect from Friday evening for different areas in southwest California. The coastal regions of Orange and San Diego counties and valleys in San Bernardino and Riverside counties are under observation. Peak areas in San Diego, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties are also under flood watch from Friday.
The Los Angeles area can experience rainfall surpassing an inch on Friday. The region has seen rain and isolated thunderstorms from Thursday evening. Local National Weather Service said rain fell about 0.10 inches per 30 minutes.
“This storm will deliver a month’s worth of rain in about 24 hours to portions of Southern California and Arizona,” AccuWeather meteorologist Bernie Rayno said.
According to the National Weather Service in Los Angeles, In nearby areas like Ventura County, the coastal city of Oxnard’s downtown area saw a month’s rainfall on Thursday morning. “This puts into perspective how heavy the 3.18 inches that fell in just one hour truly was. The average rainfall for the entire month of December is 2.56 inches,” the weather service noted.
According to a county fire department spokesperson, “the inundation affected at least 60 homes in Ventura County, where Oxnard and Port Hueneme bore the brunt of the storm.” “Over 3 inches of rain per hour came down at the height of the storm. The roadways became flooded, and vehicles became trapped in the roadway,” Ventura County Fire Department spokesperson Andy VanSciver said.
VanSciver reported that floodwaters in some Ventura County areas got 2 to 3 feet deep. Surprisingly, The county’s fire department received 275 calls within five hours. VanSciver stated it is a staggering uptick from its estimated 190 daily calls. The extreme flooding led officials in Ventura County to give an evacuation alert for parts of the county on Thursday.
In Santa Barbara, torrential rainfall devastated some roads. It forced ramps to the area’s Highway 101 to close on Thursday. Meanwhile, on the East Coast, thousands still face the effects of a deadly storm. It brought heavy rain and destructive winds to parts of the Northeast earlier this week. Flooded roadways and striking out power for thousands as cold temperatures continued.
According to the tracking website PowerOutage.us, more than 50,000 homes and businesses in Maine were still without power on early Friday. Further, high temperatures are predicted to be in the low 30s. Moreover, at least eight storm-related deaths were registered across several states. It also includes four of those deaths happening in Maine, officials said.
Police stated in a statement on Thursday that two people who had been missing in the Maine town of Mexico were affirmed dead.
