Reuters and other sources reported that 900,000 households suffered power outages on the 4th (local time) due to extremely heavy rain and hurricane-force winds in the US state of California.
Forecasters at the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) raised concerns about serious flooding, saying the so-called ‘Pineapple Express’, accompanied by heavy rain, was expected to hit major cities such as Los Angeles (LA).
Pineapple Express refers to warm moisture coming up from the Pacific Ocean, creating an ‘atmospheric river’ phenomenon that flows like a river in the air, rising to land and pouring down as snow or rain.
For this reason, the Grammy Awards ceremony held in LA was held in heavy rain. The PGA of America canceled the final round of the PGA Tour, which was scheduled to be held at Pebble Beach in Monterey County, northern California, and ended the tournament schedule early.
Due to this severe weather event, the NWS Bay Area office has issued an unusual hurricane-force wind advisory for Big Sur and surrounding areas.
California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in eight counties. Flash flood warnings have been issued for parts of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.
The NWS said maximum wind speeds exceeding 129 km/h were observed in some areas.
According to Poweroutage, a site that collects power outages, electricity was cut off in 900,000 households as of the afternoon of the 4th.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass warned at a press conference, “The largest storm in history has brought thunderstorms, which have the potential to transform into short tornadoes.”
Heavy rain fell in the San Francisco Bay Area and LA County, and in some areas, the flow of storms was stagnant until the 6th, increasing the possibility of flooding or landslides.
Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), appeared on a local broadcast and said, “It will be a complete disaster, not to mention the trip home from work on the evening of the 5th.” He added, “I would recommend that everyone in LA stay home if possible.” recommended.
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.