The Golden Gate Bridge behind a rain-covered windshield in San Francisco, California on January 4, 2023 (AFP / JOSH EDELSON)
Fierce winds, downpours and heavy snowfall will continue to pound California on Thursday, which was hit the previous day by a “cyclone bomb” that left tens of thousands of homes without power and caused several roads to be closed in a region already weakened by a series of winter storms.
“A major atmospheric flow event will hit California throughout Thursday with heavy to excessive rainfall, debris flooding and landslides near recently burned areas, heavy snowfall in mountains and strong winds,” the US National Weather Service (NWS) forecast.
The phenomenon of “atmospheric flow” — a narrow band in the atmosphere, resembling a river, that transports vast amounts of moisture from the tropics — is not uncommon in California during the winter. But it is currently accompanied by a “low-pressure bomb,” a system that can drop pressure suddenly and very quickly, creating very violent winds.
The NWS also warned of coastal flash flooding, warning that this storm could cause deaths.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday declared a state of emergency to ease emergency response and authorized the National Guard to intervene.
Flood monitoring alerts affected more than 34.5 million Californians.
The formation of “cyclone bombs” (AFP / Valentin RAKOVSKY)
Dozens of flights were cancelled, schools were closed as a precaution and around 190,000 households and businesses were without power as of early Thursday, according to PowerOutage.us.
Northern California, particularly around San Francisco and Sacramento, is the region most at risk. Evacuation orders were issued in Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz counties south of San Francisco near areas of charred forest.
– “Very worried” –
In San Francisco, which had set up an emergency response center and disrupted service on its famous cable cars, bars and restaurants were closed on Wednesday and some residents were asked to work from home.
A storm-damaged gas station in South San Francisco, California on January 4, 2023 (AFP / JOSH EDELSON)
A gas station canopy has collapsed in the city of South San Francisco.
Thousands of sandbags were distributed to residents in flood-prone areas.
“We are very concerned,” San Francisco resident Deepak Srivastava told CBS. “I’ve spent the day piling sandbags in front of all entrances to the garage and we’re keeping our fingers crossed that there’s no further damage.”
“We had a similar flood in October,” sighs his wife Denise Srivastava. “They call it ‘the storm of the century,’ but it looks like we’re going to have two of these in a week.”
Northern California is still suffering the effects of a series of storms.
The last one had hit New Year’s Eve, causing landslides and power outages. At least one person has died after being trapped in their car by flooding, authorities said.
On December 31, San Francisco recorded the second rainiest day in its history since the measure was introduced, with 5.5 inches of rain.
Under these conditions, the region’s soils, depleted by the drought that has plagued the American West for two decades, will struggle to absorb a new deluge, increasing the risk of flash floods.
A traffic sign warns of weather hazards in San Rafael, California on January 4, 2023 (AFP / JOSH EDELSON)
“This storm alone could cause localized flooding and landslides,” weather forecaster Matt Solum told AFP. “But with recent wet conditions … any extra rain will run down instead of soaking up the ground.”
Climate change increases the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.
According to meteorologists, the series of storms currently battering California will not end.
“We’re expecting another one this weekend,” says Solum. “And then possibly multiple storms for the next week. And possibly also for the following week.”