- The latest in a series of atmospheric river storms is expected to bring heavy flooding to much of the state
- Residents in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties were urged to evacuate their homes
- The term ‘bomb cyclone’ denotes a storm that rapidly worsens over 24 hours
The first images have emerged showing California pummeled by potentially deadly rain and wind as about 37 million residents remain under flood alerts.
San Francisco Public Works crews tended to a downed acacia tree in the neighborhood of West Portal, equipped with a chainsaw, as rain pounded the city.
Videos from San Jose showed trees swaying and buckling under the gusts. And in Santa Cruz, water ponded on residential streets and poured out of drainpipes.
Atmospheric rivers began hitting the state last week, toppling trees and dousing roads. With the ground already soaked from the first storm, officials expressed concern about mudslides and flooding.
Weather researcher Ryan Maue said the ‘bomb cyclone’ – a term denoting a storm that rapidly intensifies over 24 hours – could dump more than 8 trillion gallons of precipitation on the state.