California has declared a state of emergency on Wednesday after a severe storm produced 45-foot waves at sea, dumped heavy rain on already saturated ground and prompted flood and mudslide concerns.
The storm’s effects will become more severe in the afternoon, and the more than 8 million people who live in the San Francisco Bay Area should limit their travel, according to the regional National Weather Service office.
Recall that California Gov, Gavin Newsom had earlier authorized state National Guard units to assist in disaster response as a major storm battered parts of the state’s coastline.
Fire and rescue equipment and staff have been stationed in regions judged most vulnerable to major flooding and mudslides.
“If you’ve still got power, it’s a good idea to charge your cellphone, computers and tablets now while you can,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Cynthia Palmer in the agency’s San Francisco area office. If the power goes out, having access to timely information about the storm – and something to watch – will be useful, she said.
The storm is called a “bomb cyclone” because it is likely to produce a high-intensity storm due to a rapid drop in air pressure.
“All told it’s about a 30-hour event from start to finish,” said Rick Canepa, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s San Francisco office. “The rain won’t be done until Thursday afternoon or early evening.”
Forecasters predict that severe weather may dump 10 inches or more of rain in certain regions of Northern California over the next week. The storm was forecast to knock down trees, generate widespread flooding, wash away highways, cause hillsides to crumble, halt airports, and potentially result in “human life loss,” according to the National Weather Service.
However, officials caution that the danger is not past. Forecasters are keeping an eye on additional systems out at sea that could bring more rain to the region.
Meanwhile, California wasn’t the only location in the country dealing with extreme weather on Wednesday. Early Wednesday, a suspected tornado struck down near Montgomery, Alabama. There were no fatalities, but the tornado destroyed more than 50 homes.
This story was adapted from US today.
