While the state struggles to recover from massive levels of snow that buried mountain villages, authorities in California are urging citizens to get ready for a major storm that is expected to hit the area with torrential rain late this week.
In the San Bernardino Mountains, one individual died as a result of previous extreme weather. The individual passed away in a car accident, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office. Though investigations are underway, other fatalities from February 25 do not seem to be weather-related, according to spokesperson Mara Rodriguez.
In advance of a storm that is expected to hit the area with severe floodwaters on Thursday, around 17.5 million residents in central and northern California, along with the San Francisco Bay area and Sacramento, and sections of Nevada have been under flood alerts on Wednesday.
In lower altitudes and mountains of California, particularly below 5000 feet, a storm expected to arrive Thursday poses a danger of flooding due to a mixture of heavy rain and melting, according to the Weather Prediction Center. Moreover, traffic will be challenging, and snow load issues will occur at higher altitudes due to heavy, wet snow.
“Streams and rivers in the Sierra Nevada slopes will be particularly prone to flooding from rainfall and melting.”
