California lashed again
String of storms continues with more flooding in Monday deluge
Millions of Californians remained under flood watch Monday after wicked weather pounded the state again over the weekend.
Monday’s heavy rain on the San Francisco Bay Area and central coast followed Saturday’s record rainfall of 1.82 inches in downtown Los Angeles. The weekend also saw the University of California Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab record 21.5 inches of snow over a 24-hour stretch.
California has experienced hundreds of mudslides in January as storms resulting from “atmospheric rivers” pummel the state.
Flooding in Northern California’s San Joaquin County caused multiple road closures Sunday while part of Interstate 5 in L.A. County was shut down after the collapse of a hillside, officials said. Monday’s flood watches included 8 million people.
On Friday, three people were safely evacuated from a car “teetering on the side of a cliff” in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the California Highway Patrol said.
“They were scared for their lives and were in disbelief,” the highway patrol wrote on Facebook, adding, “Please ONLY drive if it’s necessary.”
President Biden on Saturday declared a major disaster in California to support “recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe winter storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides” since Dec. 27.
“The President’s action makes Federal funding available to affected individuals in the counties of Merced, Sacramento and Santa Cruz,” the White House said. “Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.”
Saturday also saw California Gov. Gavin Newsom warn “we’re not done” as the state braced for a ninth and final atmospheric river.
Californians are expected to finally get a break Tuesday, with forecasts predicting drier conditions in the state beginning Monday night.