Fierce Winter Storm Wreaks Havoc in California, Leaves Hundreds of Thousands Without Power

SAN FRANCISCO (USA): In a relentless assault, a powerful winter storm, driven by a formidable atmospheric river, battered California on Sunday, unleashing torrential downpours, widespread flooding, and rare hurricane-force winds. The tempest disrupted the lives of hundreds of thousands, leaving nearly 850,000 people without power and prompting urgent warnings across the state.

Winds exceeding 60 mph (96 kph) in various areas, with gusts exceeding 80 mph (128 kph) in the mountains, underscored the severity of the storm. Accuweather meteorologists cautioned that up to 37 million people, constituting about 94% of California’s population, were at risk of life-threatening floods.

The storm’s trajectory indicated a southward progression, set to pummel the Los Angeles area with intense downpours, flash floods, and high-elevation mountain snow into the evening. The onslaught was expected to shift towards Orange County and San Diego on Monday and Tuesday. In response to the escalating crisis, Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles and Orange, among eight Southern California counties.

By Sunday evening, more than 847,000 customers were plunged into darkness statewide, with coastal regions bearing the brunt of power outages, as reported by poweroutage.us. Additionally, the Storm Prediction Center raised concerns about waterspouts coming ashore as tornadoes in six San Francisco Bay Area counties—a rare event not forecasted since February 2015.

Amid the chaos, schools in Santa Barbara County preemptively canceled classes for Monday, and Santa Barbara Airport ceased operations due to airfield flooding. Wind speeds reached hurricane-level intensity in parts of the San Francisco Bay Area, with some areas recording gusts as high as 102 mph.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Prediction Center forecasted heavy rainfall, ranging from 2-5 inches to 6-10 inches in specific areas. This extensive precipitation was anticipated to trigger flash floods, urban flooding, and the heightened risk of debris flows and mudslides.

As night fell on California, more than 856,000 homes and businesses were grappling with power outages, predominantly concentrated in coastal regions, further exacerbating the challenges posed by this relentless winter onslaught.