California storm surge floods: Three dead as weather river storm brings half a year's rain in just two days

The storm hitting California is fueled by an atmospheric river, a column of moisture that extends across the Pacific Ocean to near Hawaii.

Atmospheric rivers are long, relatively narrow bands of water vapor that form over the ocean and flow across the sky, transporting moisture from the tropics to northern latitudes.

They occur globally but are particularly important on the West Coast of the United States, where they account for 30 to 50 percent of annual rainfall and are vital to water supplies, but they can also cause storms that produce floods and mudslides, according to the National Oceanic Center. and the Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

On Monday, about 38 million people were placed under flood watches across California, according to the National Weather Service.

A hurricane moving through the region dumped record rainfall on Los Angeles and caused flooding further south in and around San Diego. To the north, trees and power lines fell.

The NWS described the storm as “potentially historic” due to the amount of rain expected to hit the area.

About 500,000 electricity customers lost electricity as a result of the storm.

Two Disney parks in Anaheim will close early today again due to inclement weather, park officials said.

Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park closed an hour earlier on Sunday, at 10pm and 9pm respectively.

Both will close at 8pm on Monday, due to ongoing concerns about public safety.

Various ski resorts in Lake Tahoe and surrounding areas in Northern California reported heavy snow as a winter storm dumped new snowfall ranging from six inches to three feet.

According to the live webcam, Mammoth Mountain, near Yosemite National Park, reported 33 to 36 inches of new snowfall in the past 24 hours.

In a post titled “Landfill Alert,” the resort warned guests of delays at all cable car slots, as the ski patrol was out to mitigate “avalanche danger.”

“Be aware of all closures and know they are for everyone’s safety,” the resort said.

Northstar California Resort and Mt.Rose Ski Tahoe also reported similar highs, with 27 inches and 22 to 26 inches of new snow, respectively, in the past 24 hours.

US meteorologists warned that flooding was still possible after record rainfall on Monday.

The National Weather Service said the atmospheric river-fed storm, which has already dumped half a year's worth of rain, could last until Wednesday.

Scattered showers and some possible thunderstorms are expected to bring light to moderate rain, but there is still a risk that many places will see short-term downpours of up to an inch of rain within an hour.

A flash flood warning has been issued for Santa Monica, West Hollywood and Beverly Hills until 5 a.m. Tuesday.

More than 10 inches (25 cm) of rain has fallen across the Los Angeles area since Sunday, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.

However, UCLA recorded “300 mm (12 in)” of rain in just 24 hours.

California receives an average rainfall of 24 inches per year.

Rain from an atmospheric river weather system is expected to release more water on Tuesday, the National Weather Service said.