Washington, Jan. 9. The US National Weather Service (NWS) warned of the danger of flooding from “cyclone parade” associated with heavy rain and heavy snow today and tomorrow in California and the northern and central Rocky Mountains, after President Joe Biden will declare a federal emergency for the Golden State.
Biden issued the statement last night to make federal assistance available to California and support local efforts to deal with the impact of winter storms that have hit the state for several days.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom had asked Biden for the statement on Sunday as the state grappled with a series of storms that have killed at least 12 people.
Newson said yesterday that “the worst is yet to come.”
“We anticipate very intense weather for this Monday and Tuesday tomorrow,” he added.
Two episodes of heavy precipitation and heavy snowfall “are expected to impact California in rapid succession over the next two days associated with the energetic cyclone parade moving directly” into that state, the NWS said today.
Meteorologists forecast the now advancing rainfall event in central California to be the heaviest, accumulating 3 to 5 inches (76 to 127 millimeters) of rainfall near the coast.
“The second episode will arrive immediately on Tuesday with slightly less rain but with an impact in areas further south in California,” the NWS added.
Heavy snow is forecast for Wednesday, accumulating to more than 6 feet (180 centimeters) in the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada.
“The cumulative effect of successive heavy rains will lead to additional instances of flooding,” the agency warned. “This includes rapid rising waters, mudslides and the potential for large rivers to flood their banks,” he added.
For its part, the Weather Channel noted that the west of the country has seen “storm after storm in recent weeks”, adding that “an end is not in sight as a series of storms is headed to hit the region in the coming days “.
What meteorologists have described as “atmospheric rivers” have left some 400,000 people without electricity (130,000 users remain without service on Monday).
According to the Los Angeles Times, authorities in San Jose, California, are preparing for what could be the worst flooding in the San Francisco Bay Area since 2017 from Coyote Creek, which forced the evacuation of 14,000 residents. EFE
jab/msc