The city of Los Angeles, is a city in southern California with about 3.9 million residents as of 2020. It is the second most populous city in the United States. According to reports, parts of Southern California experienced intense rainfall with winds up to 100mph as a result of an atmospheric river and the El Niño phenomenon, which causes extreme weather and life-threatening floods.
The storm has led to 1 fatality, with more than 700,000 people without power, and ongoing damages to homes and vehicles. Rescue operations are being carried out by emergency response teams, with evacuation orders issued to cities like Malibu, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Santa Barbara, San José, and Ventura County that have flash flood and landslide alerts.
Roads, schools, and the Santa Barbara airport have been closed due to flooding, and parts of the Sierra Nevada mountains could see up to 3 inches of snow, making travel nearly impossible. The impact of the atmospheric river is expected to be felt throughout Tuesday February 6 2024.
Authorities have issued a rare high risk of excessive rainfall for more than 14 million people across southern California. Atmospheric rivers are long, narrow regions in the atmosphere that transport water vapor, like a river in the sky. When the river makes landfall, all that water vapor is released in the form of rain or snow.