With its lights flashing, the Santa Barbara police cruiser blocked the bridge, allowing the swelling brown river below to rage with thunder and lightning. In this Southern California county, the water level was so high that it burst through the bridge’s rails and spilled onto the road.
This area is accustomed to experiencing water shortage since it frequently experiences drought, wildfires, and intense heat waves. Right now, life-threatening floods and heavy rain are presenting Southern California with an excess of water.
It was forecast earlier this week that Los Angeles and the neighboring areas would get over six months’ worth of rain in a single day.
Monday was the wettest day on record for the city, and the news wasn’t much better for the rest of California. Orders to evacuate were made and a state of emergency was declared. Drivers were left stranded, mudslides devastated neighborhoods, and half a million people lost electricity. 94% of the state’s population, or around 37 million people, are on flood alert.