Nearly 10,000 residents in California are under evacuation orders because intense flooding generated by storms are threatening coastal counties. Shelters have been opened in nine counties. Some regions (as Minneapolis or Wisconsin) will receive high snow in a short time. This comes after the Sierra Nevada mountain region was buried by 16 feet of snow in just the last two weeks. In San Bernardino County, crews have removed more than 7.2 million cubic yards of snow from highways.
At least two people were dead due to bad weather. A level 4 of 4 warning of excessive rainfall was issued. Heavy rain and flooding is also possible in parts of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee and Mississippi. Wind gusts of over 100 mph were reported. Rain will continue through the weekend. More than 30,000 people are without power. An atmospheric river event is expected to impact the region early next week producing more damage. Forecasters say the combination of rain and significant snowmelt could cause life-threatening flooding, mudslides and avalanches. The storm will mostly let up by Sunday but another system is set to hit the state on Monday. A state of emergency declaration requested by Gov. Gavin Newsom was approved by President Joe Biden.
