California was hit yesterday, Wednesday, by a cyclone that brought heavy rainfall, raising the risk that the flooding already occurring in the state could worsen and cause new landslides.
Already, 18 people have lost their lives due to the extreme weather conditions that have been affecting this western U.S. state in recent days.
The ground can no longer absorb the volume of water, and widespread power outages have occurred, flooding, trees have been uprooted, and major roads have been cut off, with the floodwaters often sweeping away vehicles.
Record rainfall has been recorded in some parts of California—the highest amount in 150 years.
«A massive cyclone off the west coast will bring more heavy rain and strong gusts of wind (on Wednesday), this time in northern California,» the National Weather Service (NWS) announced, warning that the region could see up to 18 centimeters of rain in some areas.
Yesterday afternoon, more than 55,000 households were without power.
State Governor Gavin Newsom visited Santa Cruz County on Tuesday, one of the areas hardest hit by the successive storms. He also warned of new extreme weather events, which will be less intense but just as dangerous.
«We expect these storms to continue at least until January 18,» he said.
Missing child
According to Newsom’s office, 18 people have lost their lives in the storms so far, a number that is «twice the number of victims from the wildfires of the past two years.».
In Paso Robles, in central California, a 5-year-old child was swept away by the water on Monday while his mother was driving him to school. As of yesterday, the child was still missing.
The search is ongoing, «and we will continue it (…) until we find it,» officials from the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office assured.
California is currently experiencing «a never-ending barrage of atmospheric rivers,» a phenomenon not seen since 2005, according to the weather service.
Although it is difficult to establish a clear link between these storms and climate change, scientists explain that global warming is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.
