Hurricane level storm… Unusual ‘high risk’ forecast
Landslide evacuation order in LA… The Grammy Awards ceremony site also has an impact.
A record-breaking storm hit California, USA, causing damage, including power outages to 850,000 households and flight cancellations.
According to the New York Times (NYT) on the 4th (local time), the National Weather Service issued an unusually ‘high risk’ forecast, saying that more than 20cm of rain could fall in 24 hours in the area along the 160km coastline between Los Angeles (LA) and Santa Barbara, California. announced.
Over the next 48 hours, 10 to 20 cm of rain is forecast to fall in coastal and valley areas and 20 to 40 cm in mountainous areas.
Strong winds exceeding 120 km per hour continue. Strong winds are blowing at a speed of about 130 km/h in the coastal area of Big Sur, and are predicted to grow to 145 km/h.
There was also warning of the possibility of a power outage as power lines and trees fell due to strong winds. According to Power Outage, a blackout damage statistics site, electricity was cut off in about 850,000 households as of 6 p.m. local time.
Evacuation orders were issued for parts of Los Angeles City and Los Angeles County due to the risk of landslides due to mud and debris. California state authorities declared a state of emergency in eight southern California counties, including Los Angeles, and placed 21 water rescue teams on standby.
Santa Barbara County issued an evacuation order for some areas and closed schools on the 5th.
A heavy rain warning was also issued at the LA Crypto.com Arena, where the 66th Grammy Awards, America’s most prestigious pop music awards ceremony, will be held.
According to flight tracking website FlightAware, flight delays, diversions, and cancellations began to appear at San Francisco International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport.
In San Francisco, major roads were blocked as trees fell due to heavy rain and strong winds. Wind gusts of up to 140 km/h, equivalent to a category 1 hurricane, blew in the nearby mountains. National Weather Service forecasters described it as “one of the most dramatic weather events in recent memory.”
The U.S. Geological Survey announced that a preliminary magnitude 3.8 earthquake occurred along with the storm in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, about 65 kilometers east of Bakersfield in western California.
Daniel Swain, professor of climate science at UCLA, said, “The rain is stagnant over LA,” and “it is not a good situation.” The National Weather Service’s Oxnard branch warned that this storm would cause significant damage to life and property.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.