A wet and deadly winter so far
An 81-year-old swept away in floodwaters is the latest confirmed fatality in the state.
The death toll from the state’s latest series of storms continues to rise. More rain and snow are on the way.
An 81-year-old woman in Bakersfield who drowned after being swept away in f loodwaters is the latest confirmed storm-related death in California, authorities said.
The Kern County Sheriff’s Office identified the woman Tuesday as Vivian Mary Robinson, who was last seen Jan. 5 leaving work.
Robinson’s vehicle was found Jan. 7 on the side of the road in the 7600 block of Edison Road in Bakersfield, officials said.
Two days before, the first in a series of storms swept across Northern California and the Central Valley, triggering flash flood warnings in Kern County and elsewhere. Robinson, who had no relatives, was last seen the day of the storm, sheriff ’s spokesman Ray Pruitt said.
It appeared her car had become disabled, he said.
“For whatever reason, she made a decision to get out of her vehicle. It looks like she was swept away in floodwaters and drowned,” Pruitt said.
Robinson’s death was one of several storm-related fatalities.
On Jan. 7, Deborah McKeown, 56, was killed on a Contra Costa County golf course by a falling tree.
On Jan. 8, Jarnail Singh Sidhu, 57, drowned after he lost control of his taxi and landed in an estuary in Alameda County.
On Jan. 9, Jose Enrique Hernandez, 20, died when his car went into a creek after flying off a bridge in Marin County.
On Jan. 11, Jenna Santos, 19, died after she lost control of her car on Highway 101 near Willits and it rolled into a creek.
In possibly a sixth stormrelated death, the L.A. County coroner’s office said Tuesday that it was investigating whether a body found in Leeward Bay Marina is that of a man believed swept away in the Dominguez Channel last week.
Additional storms are expected in the state this week.