A fierce winter storm is battering California, leaving hundreds of thousands without power and prompting a rare warning of hurricane-force winds.
At least three people have been killed by the intense storm and around 37 million residents, about 94 per cent of the state’s population, are at risk from floods caused by the storm, which started on Sunday and is expected to last until Tuesday.
One person died on Sunday afternoon when a tree fell on a home in Santa Cruz county, trapping the person inside. Two men were killed when trees fell on them in their gardens in separate incidents, one in Sutter County and the other in Sacramento.
It is the second heavy storm to hit the state in recent days as part of the destructive “Pineapple Express” weather system. But forecasters say this one is more severe with the National Weather Service issuing a hurricane-force wind warning − with gusts of up to 92 mph − and predicting “one of the most dramatic weather days in recent memory”.
San Francisco officials sent out alerts on Sunday about flooded and blocked roads, fallen trees − including a large one that brought down power lines − and a landslide. The final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament was postponed on Sunday.
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
