California steels itself for MORE storms that have left 12 dead, more than 137,000 without power

Californians are hunkering down Monday for another round of devastating storms expected to bring flooding and heavy damage to the already embattled state. 

A series of atmospheric rivers have hit the West Coast hard over the past week, leaving 12 dead and many trapped in their homes, according to California Governor Gavin Newsom. 

The entire area of Montecito, home to notable names like Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as well as Oprah Winfrey, was urgently ordered to evacuate Monday afternoon while Santa Barbara County residents were ordered to shelter in place.   

As of Monday morning, more than 137,000 customers in the Golden State are out of power as wind speeds upwards of 60 miles per hour have caused trees and powerlines to fall. 

‘We expect to see the worst of it still in front of us,’ Newsom said as he asked President Joe Biden to declare an emergency for the state. Biden complied Sunday evening, granting the state access to emergency resources. 

‘We’re anticipating very intense weather coming in [Monday] and Tuesday morning,’ Governor Newsom said Sunday during a press conference. 

The storms are so severe in some areas school districts canceled classes, including the Sacramento City Unified School District canceled school, which had six campuses without electricity completely, the Sacramento Bee reported. 

The National Weather Service warned of a ‘relentless parade of atmospheric rivers’ – storms that are long plumes of moisture stretching out into the Pacific and are capable of dropping staggering amounts of rain and snow. 

Two major storms are expected to drop heavy rainfall on the coast and snow in the mountains over the next couple of days.

Biden’s emergency declaration now provides state and local officials with resources and help for counties hit hardest by the storms, which include: El Dorado, Los Angeles, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Monterey, Napa, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, Stanislaus and Ventura counties. 

The Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency will also authorize equipment and resources to the state for assistance. 

Governor Gavin Newsom thanked President Joe Biden Monday for declaring an emergency in the state, which gives California access to emergency resources 

Nearly the entire state is expected to see ‘excessive rainfall’ according to Weather.com 

Newsom in a tweet Monday thanked Biden for his ‘swift approval’ of the emergency declaration for the state. 

The governor said his office had been in constant contact with the White House and this will help the state get ahead of the incoming storms and subsequent damage. 

‘We know what’s coming and anticipating we’re better off getting ahead of it than waiting for the actual event to occur,’ Newsom said. 

‘In so many ways, I think it’s a preview of what’s to come,’ the governor continued. 

An East Sacramento resident crosses the street in front of a tree blocking H Street near 36th Street in Sacramento

A tree collapsed and ripped up the sidewalk damaging a home in Sacramento

President Joe Biden Sunday evening signed an emergency declaration for California 

Damage to a jetty is seen in Capitola Wharf following a powerful winter storm on January 6, 2023 in Capitola, California

Pictured: A man wades through knee deep water in a California neighborhood

Pictured: A man runs from the spray of waves hitting and going over the breakwall of Redondo Beach, CA, Harbor, in the wake of a storm that cleared the south bay community of Los Angeles County, Thursday, January 5, 202

On Sunday, Gavin Newsome held a press conference in which he described the destruction caused by the ongoing storms.

‘We are in the middle of a deadly barrage of winter storms – and California is using every resource at its disposal to protect lives and limit damage,’ Newsom said. 

‘We are taking the threat from these storms seriously, and want to make sure that Californians stay vigilant as more storms head our way.’ 

Newsom in a tweet Monday thanked Biden for his ‘swift approval’ of the emergency declaration for the state. 

Since December 26, San Francisco has received more than 10 inches of rain, an unprecedented amount for the Northern California city.  

Mammoth Mountain, a popular ski area in northeast California, has seen nearly 10 feet of snow in recent weeks and is projected to see a potential 90-plus inches in the coming weeks. 

A tree collapsed and ripped up the sidewalk damaging a home in Sacramento

Some eastern portions of the state could see upwards of 18 inches of snow while places like Los Angeles are expected to experience anywhere from three to five inches of rain through Thursday

A crane lifts tree removal foreman Francisco Villanueva to assess which branches to remove first from two homes on Capitol Avenue in midtown Sacramento

Crane operator Ricky Kapuschinsky, with AAA Crane, gets ready to lift uprooted trees on Capitol Avenue and 27th Street in midtown after a storm brought high winds overnight in Sacramento

Evacuations were under way in Santa Cruz County with the San Lorenzo River at flood stage, rising 14 feet in just hours, officials said. 

Warnings and advisories have also been issued for parts of Santa Clara, Alameda, Sacramento, Sonoma, Monterey and Santa Cruz counties. 

The National Weather Service warned of a ‘relentless parade of atmospheric rivers’ – storms that are long plumes of moisture stretching out into the Pacific and are capable of dropping staggering amounts of rain and snow. 

The rain and snow expected over the next couple of days come after California has already been walloped by storms that last week knocked out power to thousands, flooded streets, and battered the coastline with high surf. 

This photo shows just how bad the flooding in Santa Cruz County is as of Monday 

Last week a roadway washed out by floodwaters in California after the state’s recent flooding

On Wednesday, cars crashed through huge puddles of water from California’s ongoing severe storms

The first of the newest, heavier storms prompted the weather service to issue a flood watch for a large swath of Northern and Central California, with 6 to 12 inches of rain expected through Wednesday in the already saturated Sacramento-area foothills.

In the Los Angeles area, stormy conditions were expected to return Monday, with the potential for up to 8 inches in foothill areas. 

High surf was expected through Tuesday, with large waves on west-facing beaches.

Some parts of the state last week saw waves cresting upwards of 35 feet while California was in the midst of the ‘bomb cyclone.’

On Thursday, Capitola Wharf, a pier located in Northern California, was split in half by the rough weather, with a portion drifting out to sea. 

On Thursday, Capitola Wharf, a pier located in Northern California, was split in half by the rough weather, with a portion drifting out to sea

A tree collapsed and ripped up the sidewalk damaging a home in Sacramento on Sunday

Residents looks at a tree that fell in high winds during a winter storm in West Sacramento, California, U.S. January 8, 2023

The flooding in some Northern California area trapped cars on flooded roads

Cars are seen submerged in water in Windsor, California 

In the state’s capital of Sacramento, utility workers have been out nonstop attempting to restore power and energy to homes in the area. 

Pacific Gas & Electric officials say they have dedicated 4,000 crew members dedicated to storm restoration alone.  

That number includes  their own personnel, contractors and mutual aid from Southern California cities and other states.  

‘We are just getting repeatedly pounded by storm after storm,’ said Tracy Correa Lopez, a spokeswoman with PG&E. 

‘Flooding is an issue. The number one issue right now is access to a lot of these areas,’ Correa Lopez said. 

Pictured: A map from the NWS Weather Prediction Center that shows the excessive rainfall outlook, with much of California expected to see at least a 40 percent risk of rainfall that exceeds flash flood guidance (shown in red)

A trolly car travels down a California street during a rainstorm in San Francisco, California, on January 4, 2023

On Saturday, a surfer watches the large waves brought on by the storm surge

As of Monday, more than 34 million Californians are under a flood watch, which amounts to roughly 90 percent of the state’s population.

According to CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen, high winds speeds could also put parts of central California, specifically those along the coast, in danger of a tornado.

The series of atmospheric rivers come at a time when the state is extremely vulnerable to flooding due to drought. 

While many think the rain may be a welcomed guest for the state, many areas are unable to soak up the rainfall due to damage from the drought and wildfires. 

This graph explains what an ‘atmospheric river’ is and how it happens 

San Francisco has already begun to flood, with Department of Emergency Management Executive Director Mary Ellen Carroll saying sinkholes and mudslides have begun. 

‘We’re seeing sinkholes on our streets – a few of them. We’re seeing mudslides – nothing significant at this point,’ Carroll said, according to CNN. 

‘But the more rain we get and the less time in between, we know we’re going to see more of those conditions.’

She also cautioned that the city’s underground communications infrastructure could become compromised.

‘As we get more inundation from the rain, we’re seeing more failure around those, what we call lifeline systems,’ she said. 

San Francisco has already begun to flood as of Monday

Streets have also been blocked by fallen objects in the city

One video shared by the local fire department shows firefighters working to remove a tree after it fell in the middle of a street 

The winds and rain have also ripped up trees in Sacramento