ISLAMABAD/ SACRAMENTO: California officials have urged residents to stock essentials and prepare for a powerful storm that is expected to lash the region with torrential rain later this week, as the state recovers from massive amounts of snow that trapped mountain communities.
One person died as a result of previous severe weather in the San Bernardino Mountains. According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office, the individual died in a traffic accident.
Other deaths since February 25 do not appear to be weather-related, according to spokesperson Mara Rodriguez, but investigations are ongoing.
California under flood warning
About 17.5 million people in central and northern California, including the San Francisco Bay area and Sacramento, as well as parts of Nevada, were under flood warnings Wednesday ahead of a storm that is expected to drench the region with dangerous amounts of rain Thursday in most places that already have heavy snow from previous storms.
According to the weather Prediction Center, a storm expected to arrive Thursday will bring flooding from a combination of intense rain and snowmelt to reduce elevations and foothills in California, particularly below 5000 feet. In addition, heavy, wet snow at higher elevations will make travel difficult and cause snow load impacts.
Officials in Marin and Monterey counties in California have officially started preparations in response to the ominous forecast, which is expected to hit the area as a strong atmospheric river event.
The emergency services office in Monterey County went so far as to advise residents and businesses in Big Sur to stock up on essentials that would last at least two weeks. Sandbags have also been made available by the county for residents who require them to protect their property.
The Big Sur area, about 150 miles south of San Francisco, is a well-known tourist destination in central California, with picturesque towering cliffs, mountains, and hidden beaches all along Pacific Coast Highway.