video by 11Alive
Takeaways:
• California’s governor declared a state of emergency for eight southern counties due to a powerful atmospheric river storm, bringing high risks of flooding and high winds to the region, particularly Los Angeles.
• The National Weather Service issued a high risk for excessive precipitation in LA, a rare event for a major city, with forecasts of 4 to 8 inches of rain in coastal and valley areas and 8 to 14 inches in mountain areas, raising concerns for potentially deadly flooding.
• High winds are also a significant concern, with hurricane-force wind warnings for offshore Central California and reports of gusts up to 95 mph in mountain regions, causing widespread tree damage and power outages affecting over 800,000 customers.
• The storm is expected to cause mudslides, rockslides, flash flooding, and urban flooding, exacerbated by the already saturated conditions in the state.
• Climate scientists attribute the intensity of the storm to human-caused climate change and possibly El Niño, with studies suggesting that atmospheric rivers are becoming wetter due to these factors.