The waves of bad weather hitting this state in the American West have caused the death of 17 Californians in recent weeks
Heavy rains that continued to batter California on Tuesday have now killed 17 people, left a five-year-old child missing and prompted authorities to order the evacuation of several areas.
Torrential rains over the past two days in terrain already saturated by successive storms have caused widespread power outages, flooding, uprooted large numbers of trees and cut roads in half, sometimes stranding passengers.
The waves of bad weather hitting this western state have killed 17 Californians in recent weeks, in other words “more than the wildfires of the last two years,” Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said in a press release.
Mr. Newsom clarified that at least 34,000 people have been asked to leave their homes.
“We have not yet left our difficulties behind. We expect storms to continue through at least January 18,” the governor told the press. “So far, we have 17 confirmed deaths. I emphasize the tragic fact that these are only the confirmed deaths.”
In Paso Robles, a small community between Los Angeles and San Francisco, a 5-year-old boy was swept away by the waters yesterday Monday and his fate is unknown, according to the sheriff’s office.
A rushing torrent trapped the car in which the child was riding with his mother, who was saved thanks to the help of a neighbor. Authorities suspended the search for the child due to bad weather conditions.
In Bakersfield, in the central part of the state, two motorists died when a tree fell and hit them, according to the Los Angeles Times newspaper.
Yesterday Tuesday about 110,000 homes were without power, according to the specialist website PowerOutage.
According to the American Weather Service (NWS), after a short respite expected last night, a new storm is expected to hit California today, with precipitation of up to 18 cm in places in its northern part.
California is under an “assault” from “atmospheric rivers” unprecedented since 2005, the NWS said.
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With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
