A final burst of heavy rain from a deadly atmospheric river storm doused California’s Central Coast on Wednesday as it headed to south, bringing a renewed threat of mudslides and flooding to a region already heavily saturated for days by record downpours.
Up to half an inch of rain was forecast for the San Diego area from the impending late-evening blast, on top of six to 13 inches that fell during a four-day stretch ending at midday Wednesday as the storm’s center moved through Arizona, the National Weather Service said.
Rain and snow from the storm hampered attempts early on Wednesday to locate five crew members from a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter that crashed east of San Diego during a routine training flight. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said it was not able to reach the area with its own helicopter due to the rough weather.
The storm’s last gasp in California also came as the confirmed number of storm-related fatalities statewide rose to at least six, according to the governor’s Office of Emergency Services.