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During the February 19, 2024 storm, a large tree limb fell, knocking out power and damaging vehicles.
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Nearly all of California was under a flood warning Tuesday. recent rainfall The state is flooded, prompting road closures, evacuation warnings and some water rescues. Los Angeles is facing serious flooding threats as parts of the city near their wettest February on record.
• More than 35 million people are under flood warning: Rain continued to soak much of California on Tuesday. The heaviest rain was concentrated in Los Angeles and the Southern California coast. Flood watches in place for some areas of Northern California expire Tuesday morning, but most of the state's flood warnings remain in place until Wednesday.
• Los Angeles eyes record rainfall: After historic rainfall flooded downtown Los Angeles earlier this month, three inches of rain this week could bring downtown Los Angeles the wettest February on record. The National Weather Service said an additional 1.5 to 3 inches of rain is expected across Los Angeles County, creating a risk of “significant flooding.” The city announced Monday night that emergency crews were on standby to respond to power outages, debris flows and road closures.
• Airport and roads closed due to flooding: Large-scale flooding on the tarmac The Santa Barbara Airport announced Monday night that it had been forced to close until the waters receded. Several roads across the state are also closed due to flooding and weather-related impacts, according to the state Department of Transportation.
• An evacuation advisory has been issued: Evacuation warnings were issued for some parts of Santa Barbara County, and as much as 9 inches of rain fell in 24 hours in higher elevations. Local authorities warned that homes could become stranded if roads are closed due to flooding or debris flows, and urged residents to evacuate if they fear their area may become unsafe. Evacuation orders were also issued for parts of southwestern Los Angeles County due to fears of debris flows, the sheriff's office said.
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• Strong winds can cause power outages: Strong winds could knock down trees and power lines, causing power outages for large areas of California. More than 10 million people were under high wind warnings on Tuesday, with widespread wind gusts of up to 50 mph expected, with some areas reaching 105 mph.
• Heavy snow building in Sierra Nevada: The Sierra Nevada is covered in snow and a winter weather warning has been issued. Up to 5 feet of snow could accumulate in some areas by Wednesday night, while widespread 1 to 2 feet of snow is expected to accumulate in higher elevations.
As rain continued to fall across vast swaths of California on Tuesday, saturated land and swollen waterways struggled to accommodate the incoming water, causing runoff to flood local roads and soften the soil, causing landslides. has occurred, and there are widespread concerns about flooding.
Heavy rain will become more isolated on Tuesday as the atmospheric river flows driving the storm weaken, but some areas will still be significantly flooded, including Los Angeles, which faces a level 3/4 flood risk on Tuesday. facing the threat of flooding. Many major cities, including San Diego, Santa Barbara, San Francisco and Sacramento, have a slight chance of excessive rain, according to the Weather Prediction Center.
Significant flooding is possible in Los Angeles, where an additional 1.5 to 3 inches of rain is expected, and isolated areas in the Santa Monica Mountains are expected to receive 3 to 5 inches, the National Weather Service said.
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On February 19, 2024, vineyards are flooded in Sonoma County, California.
people of southwestern california should be careful The Los Angeles National Weather Service warned of large landslides and rock slides along canyon roads and debris flows in areas recently burned by wildfires.
Two people were safely rescued from a flooded vehicle in San Luis Obispo County Monday morning, fire officials said. Photos from the scene include Vehicle submerged up to the hood in a rushing flood.
In Ventura County, where a flash flood warning was issued Monday, fire officials scrambled to redirect floodwaters and prevent damage to nearby homes. Video from the county fire department showed wide areas of murky water flowing down local roads and into muddy roadside ditches being maintained by firefighters.
The Bay Area is also under a flood watch until Wednesday morning, the National Weather Service announced. That includes San Francisco, where officials are giving out 10 free sandbags to some residents and businesses.
“Some rivers and streams are rising. …Never drive into flood water,” Bay Area National Weather Service Said, noted that Sonoma County has been particularly hard hit. Sonoma County fire officials captured footage of river-like floodwaters flowing down roads that were completely submerged.
Both this week's storms and the prolific early February storms were caused by atmospheric rivers. However, ongoing storms are less extreme as they utilize much less moisture than storms earlier in the month.
The rain will finally stop in California by late Wednesday as the main storm that brought the soggy weather moves eastward and into the Rocky Mountains.
CNN’s Robert Shackelford, Steve Almasy, Mary Gilbert and Cheri Mossberg contributed to this report.
