Biden declares California in a state of catastrophe due to heavy rains

The president of USA, Joe Bidendeclared a state of serious catastrophe in Californiawhere new storms are expected this Sunday, after three weeks of unprecedented rainfall that caused at least 19 deaths.

Biden ordered federal aid to help the inhabitants and municipalities of this state, in the west of the country, to repair the damage caused since December 27 by violent winter storms, which caused floods, landslides and mudslides, according to a statement from the White House.

LOOK HERE: California Braces for “Catastrophic Flooding” Caused by New Storm

An impressive wave of rain – and snow in mountainous areas – swept away many areas of the country’s most populous state on Saturday, whose already flooded soils are reaching saturation point.

Water floods a home along the Salinas River near Chualar, California on January 14, 2023, as a series of atmospheric storms from the river continue to cause widespread destruction across the state. (Photo by DAVID MCNEW / AFP) (DAVID MCNEW /)

A new one is expected to return on Monday “atmospheric river”, that is, a strip of humidity that carries large amounts of water from the tropics. The National Metereological Service (NWS) warned that it will bring “new waves of extreme precipitation”.

Power lines were damaged, and fields and roads were totally flooded.

The NWS warned of “disastrous floods” in the Salinas region, a major agricultural area south of San Francisco.

The Governor of California, Gavin Newsomwarned the population that they are still not safe: “It’s not over”, he said on Saturday after visiting the inhabitants affected by the storms.

Newsom urged residents to remain vigilant and continue to enforce “common sense over the next 24 to 48 hours”.

order to evacuate

About 26 million Californians remained under a flood watch Saturday night, according to the NWS, and tens of thousands are ordered to evacuate.

As of 0800 GMT on Sunday, there were more than 16,000 households without power, according to poweroutage.us.

Water from the Salinas River covers a field near Chualar, California on January 14, 2023, as a series of atmospheric storms from the river continue to cause widespread destruction across the state. (Photo by DAVID MCNEW / AFP) (DAVID MCNEW /)

In the Salinas region, a city of 160,000 inhabitants where the river of the same name overflowed, the flooding affected the agricultural sectors of the valley but did not hit urban areas, an AFP journalist confirmed Saturday morning.

Under leaden skies and intermittent rain, the water course broke its course in some places, flooding hundreds of meters of fields.

MORE INFORMATION: Cyclone threatens to bring more destruction to storm-battered California

In Spreckels, a small community near the river, most residents chose not to evacuate despite warnings from authorities.

“Looks like we’ve avoided the worst“, he claimed Robert Zagajeski, who went out to walk his dog in a fine rain. According to experts, the river should be returning to its course from Saturday.

Waves pound the Monterey Peninsula in Monterey, California on January 13, 2023 as a series of atmospheric river storms continues to cause widespread destruction across the state. (Photo by DAVID MCNEW / AFP) (DAVID MCNEW /)

In one of the areas, two tractors equipped with pumping equipment returned the stagnant water accumulated by the rains of recent days to the river, to prevent the soil from completely flooding.

“The region has been hit hard by drought in recent yearshe told AFP. Manuel Paris, 58-year-old farm worker. “It’s been a long time, we are no longer used to seeing so much rain”.

Brief breaks between the storms that have hit the area in recent weeks barely give authorities time to clear debris or restore power.

a meter of snow

In the mountains, this phenomenon translates into heavy snowfall, with more than one meter forecast over the weekend in Sierra Nevada, for which reason the authorities warn about the risk of avalanches and advise against any movement.

Images released by authorities of a major highway in the Lake Tahoe region show dozens of cars stopped in a snowstorm on Saturday morning.

Waves pound the Monterey Peninsula in Monterey, California on January 13, 2023 as a series of atmospheric river storms continue to cause widespread destruction across the state. (Photo by DAVID MCNEW / AFP) (DAVID MCNEW /)

At least 19 people have died since the start of this series of storms. Drivers have been found trapped in their vehicles by waves, people have been injured after falling trees, a couple died in a landslide and bodies have been washed away by floodwaters.

California is used to extreme weather, and winter storms are common.

ALSO SEE: Storms leave at least 17 dead after passing through California, where more flooding is expected

But scientists say climate change is making these phenomena more ferocious.

While it is wreaking short-term disasters, the rain is badly needed in the American West, where more than two decades of drought have imposed unprecedented restrictions on water use.

However, experts warn that even the monster downpours that have hit the region this month are not going to reverse more than 20 years of below-average rainfall.

Source: Elcomercio