STORMS BATTER WEST WITH RAIN, SNOW, WIND

Ferocious storms continue to unleash heavy rain and snow, floods, mudslides and howling winds across the western U. S., closing roads, schools and businesses and forcing hundreds of people to flee their homes.

At least three people have died because of the storms, the Associated Press said. About 1,300 residents have been evacuated from a Reno neighborhood near the Truckee River.

A state of emergency has been declared in Nevada because of the storm onslaught. The Nevada National Guard is deploying several vehicles as part of flood assistance efforts.

More than a foot of rain has fallen in parts of California, while 2 feet of snow has been recorded at Mammoth Lakes, Calif., the National Weather Service said.