LOS ANGELES – California recently faced the wrath of a formidable atmospheric river, a weather event that wreaked havoc across the state, claiming at least six lives and saturating vast areas. While the main storm has passed, the threat of mudslides looms large over regions in Los Angeles County previously scorched by wildfires.
Despite the storm’s departure, flood advisories continued through Sunday afternoon for Los Angeles, Ventura, and Santa Barbara counties. Localized showers remained a possibility following the intense rainfall experienced on Friday and Saturday.
The National Weather Service cautioned that “due to the abundant rainfall the past couple of days, it will not take as much rainfall to cause additional flooding/rockslide conditions,” emphasizing the ongoing risk of additional hazards.
Tragedy struck on Friday at a state beach in Monterey County, where a 5-year-old girl was swept into the ocean by towering 15-foot waves. The child’s father, Yuji Hu, a 39-year-old from Calgary, Alberta, tragically lost his life in a valiant attempt to rescue her, as reported by local sheriff’s officials. The search for the missing girl continued into Sunday.
In another heartbreaking incident, a 71-year-old man lost his life in Sutter County, north of Sacramento, after his vehicle was swept from a flooded bridge, the California Highway Patrol reported.
Meanwhile, off the coast of San Diego, a tragic maritime incident unfolded as a wooden boat, suspected of transporting migrants from Mexico to the U.S., capsized amid treacherous seas. The Coast Guard confirmed that at least four people perished, and four others required hospitalization following the ordeal.
The long plume of tropical moisture that formed over the Pacific Ocean began drenching the San Francisco Bay Area on Wednesday night and then unleashed widespread rain over Southern California on Friday and Saturday. More than 4 inches (10 centimeters) of rain fell over coastal Santa Barbara County as the storm approached Los Angeles. Parts of the Sierra Nevada received more than a foot of snow.
The weather service said scattered rain could continue through Tuesday in the southern part of the state. Another storm was expected to arrive on Thursday.
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