At least three dead, landslides and torrential rain: Effects of devastating winter storm in California

At least three deaths, heavy rains, flooding and more than a million people have been left without power following a storm of historic proportions in California.

The strong winds accompanying the storm brought down trees, causing deaths in various parts of the state, officials reported.

The storm also brought record rainfall to Los Angeles.

The storm, packing winds of 60 mph or more, is part of an ‘atmospheric river’ called the “Pineapple Express,” which originates in the Hawaiian archipelago and brings heavy rain and winds to the California coast. The National Weather Service (NWS) called it the “biggest storm of the season”.

It is the second cyclone this year due to an ‘atmospheric river’ that has hit the state in a span of a few days. About 1.4 million people in the Los Angeles area, including Hollywood Hills and Beverly Hills, were under a flash flood warning on Monday.

Up to 9 inches of rain has fallen in the area, and more is expected, according to the NWS, which called the threat of flash flooding and landslides an “especially dangerous situation.”

The Los Angeles Fire Department has 1,000 firefighters on duty to respond to 49 reports of mudslides, 130 reports of flooding, half a dozen structure fires and rescues of stranded motorists.

In Yuba City, northeast of San Francisco, police said they were investigating the death of a man found under a large redwood tree in his backyard Sunday night. A neighbor heard the tree fall, and the man may have been using a ladder to clear the redwood when it died, police said on Facebook.

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that another man was killed by a falling tree while at his home in Boulder Creek on Sunday. One of the residents was able to escape the home, but the other was trapped inside, a spokesperson told KSBW News.

While in Sacramento, a 41-year-old man died Sunday from injuries sustained after being struck by a wind-blown tree, according to local officials. The Sacramento County Coroner’s Office said the man died of blunt force trauma, county spokeswoman Kim Nava told ABC News.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass signed a local emergency declaration Monday as heavy rain and winds continue to batter the city.

The emergency declaration “will help provide a response and ensure the city has the resources it needs to respond to the storm now, but also in the recovery period,” Bass said.

The mayor urged residents to avoid driving, warning of downed trees and power lines on flooded roads.

More than 10 inches of rain fell in the Santa Monica and Los Angeles mountains, said Fire Chief Kristin Crowley, who also warned that flooding, rockslides and debris will remain a risk in areas surrounding the recent floods.

The river’s currents carry soil, stones and objects from the hillside homes in Studio City, an area behind the Hollywood Hills named after the piece of land used by the movie studios.

Firefighters also reported that about 5 homes sustained significant damage due to the debris flow.

“Fortunately, no one was trapped. The Department of Buildings and Safety has been instructed to assess and red-tag any seriously compromised structures. Firefighters helped residents evacuate. About 10 people have been displaced,” he said in the warning. Los Angeles Fire Department.

Off the coast of Long Beach, 19 people were rescued Sunday after a 40-foot sailboat lost its mast, said Brian Fisk, a firefighter and paramedic with the Long Beach Fire Department.

Another vessel heard a distress call on marine radio and helped rescue eight people, while 11 managed to reach a breakwater adjacent to Alamitos Bay, where they were rescued by lifeguards, he said. While one person was treated for injuries.
“They sailed in gale-force winds and stormy weather,” Fisk said. “They were very, very lucky.”

Firefighters have asked residents not in evacuation areas to please stay home and avoid being part of the numerous rescue calls.

“Please stay at home if possible. Avoid all roads leading into the valley. There are widespread threats, especially in the valley. You may not be able to cross the roads and be part of one of the many emergency responses,” the Los Angeles department pleaded on the social network.

Over the mountains, rain was falling as snow, and parts of the Sierra Nevada were set to receive another blanket of snow, bringing the weekly total to about 3.5 feet.

The NWS warned that heavy snowfall was expected across the Sierra Nevada and urged motorists to avoid mountain roads.

For its part, aeronautical site Flightaware.com indicated that dozens of flights in and out of the Los Angeles airport were delayed or canceled.