2 dead as storm batters California with heavy rain, flooding, mudslides
LOS ANGELES — California’s mega-atmospheric river continued its path of destruction Monday, with officials reporting the storm had taken a grim toll: At least two people have been killed by falling trees.
In addition to the deaths — both of which occurred Sunday in Northern California — a trail of damage, including flooding, mudslides and power outages, has spanned the state as the massive system continued to push through Southern California on Monday.
Dangerous winds kicked off the storm Saturday night across the Bay Area, Sacramento Valley and Central Coast, where gusts of more than 80 mph were recorded in some spots, causing fallen trees, power line damage and widespread outages. Brian Ferguson, spokesperson for the governor’s Office of Emergency Services, said one of the deaths occurred in Santa Cruz County and the other in Sutter County, north of Sacramento.
By late Sunday, the slow-moving atmospheric river parked itself over the Los Angeles metropolitan area, jump-starting what the National Weather Service called “one of the most dramatic weather days in recent memory.”
And by Monday morning, the storm was straddling Los Angeles and Orange counties, where an “ , including rushing rivers, downed trees, flooded streets and power outages, as well as. Multiple homes were damaged, and dozens have been forced to evacuate.
