Atmospheric river lashes California with heavy rain and wind
By Mary Gilbert, Antoinette Radford and Eric Zerkel, CNN
Updated 7:20 a.m. ET, February 5, 2024
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25 min ago
Los Angeles has wettest day in nearly 20 years after more than a month's worth of rain
From CNN Meteorologist Mary Gilbert
More than a month's worth of rain fell in downtown Los Angeles in just 24 hours Sunday in what was the wettest day there in nearly 20 years.
The city’s downtown weather reporting station located near the University of Southern California recorded an astonishing 4.10 inches of rain Sunday. Downtown Los Angeles averages 3.64 inches of rain in February, typically its wettest month of the year. It was the wettest day in the city since 5.55 inches fell nearly 20 years ago on December 28, 2004.
Sunday's deluge smashed the rainfall record for the date and made it one of the ten rainiest days ever downtown.
Add Sunday's record rainfall to what fell in the city from last week's atmospheric river and downtown Los Angeles has picked up 5.64 inches from both storms. This marks about 40% of what the city sees in an entire year and rain is still falling.
The city’s other reporting site at Los Angeles International Airport also picked up record rainfall Sunday. Rain at the airport totaled 1.76 inches – more than triple the date’s previous record of 0.56 inches set in 1958.
28 min ago
Northern California man killed by fallen redwood tree as atmospheric river produces strong wind gusts
From CNN’s Andy Rose
A man in northern California was killed Sunday by a large redwood tree that fell as powerful wind gusts moved through the area.
“Through the investigation, it appeared he was possibly using a ladder to try and clear the tree away from his residence when it fell on him,” the Yuba City Police Department said in a statement.
Authorities have not blamed the incident on the weather, but winds in Yuba City were gusting to nearly 50 miles per hour at around 5 p.m. local time, when police say neighbors heard the tree fall. Fallen power lines have resulted in power outages to nearly 12,000 customers in Sutter County, according to Pacific Gas & Electric.
The identity of the victim has not been released.
“This was an unfortunate accident and our condolences are with the male’s family and friends,” police said.
Yuba City is about 40 miles north of Sacramento.
CNN Meteorologists Sara Tonks and Brandon Miller contributed to this report.
45 min ago
An atmospheric river has made landfall in California — take a look at the pictures
An atmospheric river started making landfall across California yesterday, and dangerous conditions continue into today.
Here are some pictures of the damage from Sunday. We'll bring you more updates as we get them throughout the day.
An aerial photo shows a road closed due to flooding in Sonoma, California on February 4. Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images
A woman walks through floodwater during a storm in Santa Barbara on Sunday. Eric Thayer/Bloomberg/Getty Images
A boat moored offshore is tossed by rough waters in Santa Barbara. David McNew/AFP/Getty Images
California Street in San Francisco is pictured, as atmospheric river storms hit the state on February 4. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu/Getty Images
1 hr 5 min ago
"Extremely dangerous situation" unfolding in Hollywood Hills and Santa Monica mountains
From CNN's Eric Zerkel
The Santa Monica mountains are seen during heavy rains in Malibu, California, on February 4. Aude Guerrucci/Reuters
The National Weather Service in Los Angeles said an “extremely dangerous situation” is happening in the “Hollywood Hills area and around the Santa Monica Mountains” just outside of Los Angeles, adding that “life threatening landslides and additional flash flooding” were expected.
"Numerous damaging landslides, flooded roadways, submerged vehicles, and flooded creeks and streams are ongoing," the weather service said.
The areas have received widespread rainfall totals more than 5 inches in the last 24 hours, with some spots topping 9 inches.
The locations are under a "particularly dangerous situation," with a flash flood warning until 9 a.m. PST as rain continues to fall over the area, with up to 3 inches of additional rain possible.
Notable California communities threatened include Malibu, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Brentwood and Burbank.
1 hr 35 min ago
Fire crews rescue 3 people stranded in a tree after escaping flood waters in San Bernardino
From CNN’s Amanda Musa
Three people who were stuck up a tree in a flood have been rescued, the San Bernardino County (SBC) Fire Department said in an update Monday.
No injuries have been reported but all three victims are being evaluated for hypothermia.
The trio were in a vehicle when they attempted to drive across a flooded road in Devore Heights neighborhood, SBC Fire said in a post Monday morning.
All three occupants were stranded in a tree and and their vehicle was submerged in “rapid flood waters.”
1 hr 27 min ago
An atmospheric river has brought potentially dangerous weather to Southern California. Here's what to know
From CNN Staff
Damage is seen after a tree fell on a house in San Jose, California, on February 4. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu/Getty Images
A potent atmospheric river has brought extreme rainfall and strong winds to Southern California on Sunday, with the weather set to continue into the day Monday.
Authorities are urging people not to travel, and some people have been evacuated from their homes due to the risk of landslides.
If you're just joining us, here's what to know:
Rare high flood risk: A firehose of rain is expected to stall over Southern California, including Los Angeles, worsening the high risk of flooding throughout Monday.
High power outages: Strong winds and rain have knocked out power for nearly 700,000 customers in California, particularly along the coast, according to the tracking website PowerOutage.us.
Rare rain risk: The Weather Prediction Center issued a rare high risk of excessive rainfall — or a Level 4 of 4 — for more than 14 million people across Southern California on Monday. This includes downtown Los Angeles, Anaheim and Long Beach.
Landslides: The weather service warned of “numerous damaging landslides” in the cities of Malibu and Beverly Hills in Los Angeles County, along with the Santa Monica Mountains and adjacent foothills.
Evacuation orders: Some residents inSanta Barbara, San José,Los Angelesand Ventura County were under evacuation orders issued over the weekend as officials warned of potential “life-threatening” floods and landslides. Officials were seen going door-to-door on Sunday giving evacuation warnings in Sun Valley, California, according to CNN affiliate KABC.
Snow in mountains: Significant snowfall totals are expected in eastern California and along Nevada’s border, with heavy and wet snow spreading across the Sierra Nevada through Monday with accumulation rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour, according to the weather service. Dangerous wind gusts are expected to produce whiteout conditions making travel above 5,000 to 6,000 feet “near impossible,” the weather servicesaid.
School cancelled: Several school districts in Santa Barbara County have canceled classes on Monday due to the severe weather, while others including California State University Fullerton switched to remote learning.
1 hr 31 min ago
More than 14 million people in Southern California face rare high risk of excessive rainfall
From CNN's Robert Shackelford
A person rides a bike through floodwater during a storm in Santa Barbara, California, Sunday, February 4. Eric Thayer/Bloomberg/Getty Images
Over 14 million people are under a high risk of excessive rainfall on Monday across Southern California, according to the Weather Prediction Center.
The WPC has issued a rare level 4 out of 4 warning to affected areas including Downtown Los Angeles, Anaheim and Long Beach.
Rainfall rates across this high-risk area could approach 1 inch per hour, which could lead to rainfall totals of 4 to 8 inches, and possibly reach 8 to 14 inches in mountain and foothill terrains.
The warning in context: Rare Level 4 “high risk” alerts are issued on fewer than 4% of days per year on average, but are responsible for more than 80% of all flood-related damage and 39% of all flood-related deaths.
This event is part of an atmospheric river: a moisture plume pumping off the Pacific Ocean, feeding off warmer-than-average waters.
1 hr 53 min ago
Santa Barbara Airport closes due to flooding and cancels all commercial flights
From CNN’s Cindy Von Quednow
The Santa Barbara Airport closed Sunday evening due to flooding on the airfield, officials said in a post on the airport’s website.
“All commercial flights have been canceled, private and general aviation operations are paused, and the Terminal is closed until further notice,” the post read.
The airport encompasses 952 acres, according to its website.
1 hr 32 min ago
Here's what meteorologists mean when they say "atmospheric river"
From CNN Meteorologist Mary Gilbert
Amospheric rivers are wide-reaching plumes of moisture that act like a firehose, tapping into warm, moist air from the tropics that storms can then unload as drenching rainfall and heavy snow over land.
These types of storms are winter hallmarks across the West Coast. Not all are harmful. Weaker atmospheric rivers deliver much-needed rainfall and snow to the region during the wettest months of the year.
This rainfall and snow is vital to western water supplies. It fills up water reservoirs that are critical resources during dry, hot summers.
But atmospheric rivers can quickly become more hazardous than helpful. Excessive rainfall unleashed by these potent storms increases the chances for flooding, particularly when a series of storms happen in sequence with little time to dry out between.
Last week’s atmospheric river broke multiple rainfall records across California and triggered road closures and water rescues.
Atmospheric rivers aren’t exclusive to the West Coast. They can also impact the eastern US and happen frequently in parts of Europe, Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
More than 14 million people are under a rare high risk of excessive rainfall across Southern California on Monday, with parts of the Los Angeles forecast to receive close to half a year’s worth of rain by Tuesday.
The weather service warned of “numerous damaging landslides” in the cities of Malibu and Beverly Hills in Los Angeles County, along with the Santa Monica Mountains and adjacent foothills.
More than 700,000 California power customers have faced outages as an intense atmospheric river lashes the state with heavy rain and strong winds.
More than a month's worth of rain fell in downtown Los Angeles in just 24 hours Sunday in what was the wettest day there in nearly 20 years.
The city’s downtown weather reporting station located near the University of Southern California recorded an astonishing 4.10 inches of rain Sunday. Downtown Los Angeles averages 3.64 inches of rain in February, typically its wettest month of the year. It was the wettest day in the city since 5.55 inches fell nearly 20 years ago on December 28, 2004.
Sunday's deluge smashed the rainfall record for the date and made it one of the ten rainiest days ever downtown.
Add Sunday's record rainfall to what fell in the city from last week's atmospheric river and downtown Los Angeles has picked up 5.64 inches from both storms. This marks about 40% of what the city sees in an entire year and rain is still falling.
The city’s other reporting site at Los Angeles International Airport also picked up record rainfall Sunday. Rain at the airport totaled 1.76 inches – more than triple the date’s previous record of 0.56 inches set in 1958.
A man in northern California was killed Sunday by a large redwood tree that fell as powerful wind gusts moved through the area.
“Through the investigation, it appeared he was possibly using a ladder to try and clear the tree away from his residence when it fell on him,” the Yuba City Police Department said in a statement.
Authorities have not blamed the incident on the weather, but winds in Yuba City were gusting to nearly 50 miles per hour at around 5 p.m. local time, when police say neighbors heard the tree fall. Fallen power lines have resulted in power outages to nearly 12,000 customers in Sutter County, according to Pacific Gas & Electric.
The identity of the victim has not been released.
“This was an unfortunate accident and our condolences are with the male’s family and friends,” police said.
Yuba City is about 40 miles north of Sacramento.
CNN Meteorologists Sara Tonks and Brandon Miller contributed to this report.
An atmospheric river started making landfall across California yesterday, and dangerous conditions continue into today.
Here are some pictures of the damage from Sunday. We'll bring you more updates as we get them throughout the day.
An aerial photo shows a road closed due to flooding in Sonoma, California on February 4. Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images
A woman walks through floodwater during a storm in Santa Barbara on Sunday. Eric Thayer/Bloomberg/Getty Images
A boat moored offshore is tossed by rough waters in Santa Barbara. David McNew/AFP/Getty Images
California Street in San Francisco is pictured, as atmospheric river storms hit the state on February 4. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu/Getty Images
The Santa Monica mountains are seen during heavy rains in Malibu, California, on February 4. Aude Guerrucci/Reuters
The National Weather Service in Los Angeles said an “extremely dangerous situation” is happening in the “Hollywood Hills area and around the Santa Monica Mountains” just outside of Los Angeles, adding that “life threatening landslides and additional flash flooding” were expected.
"Numerous damaging landslides, flooded roadways, submerged vehicles, and flooded creeks and streams are ongoing," the weather service said.
The areas have received widespread rainfall totals more than 5 inches in the last 24 hours, with some spots topping 9 inches.
The locations are under a "particularly dangerous situation," with a flash flood warning until 9 a.m. PST as rain continues to fall over the area, with up to 3 inches of additional rain possible.
Notable California communities threatened include Malibu, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Brentwood and Burbank.
Three people who were stuck up a tree in a flood have been rescued, the San Bernardino County (SBC) Fire Department said in an update Monday.
No injuries have been reported but all three victims are being evaluated for hypothermia.
The trio were in a vehicle when they attempted to drive across a flooded road in Devore Heights neighborhood, SBC Fire said in a post Monday morning.
All three occupants were stranded in a tree and and their vehicle was submerged in “rapid flood waters.”
Damage is seen after a tree fell on a house in San Jose, California, on February 4. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu/Getty Images
A potent atmospheric river has brought extreme rainfall and strong winds to Southern California on Sunday, with the weather set to continue into the day Monday.
Authorities are urging people not to travel, and some people have been evacuated from their homes due to the risk of landslides.
If you're just joining us, here's what to know:
Rare high flood risk: A firehose of rain is expected to stall over Southern California, including Los Angeles, worsening the high risk of flooding throughout Monday.
High power outages: Strong winds and rain have knocked out power for nearly 700,000 customers in California, particularly along the coast, according to the tracking website PowerOutage.us.
Rare rain risk: The Weather Prediction Center issued a rare high risk of excessive rainfall — or a Level 4 of 4 — for more than 14 million people across Southern California on Monday. This includes downtown Los Angeles, Anaheim and Long Beach.
Landslides: The weather service warned of “numerous damaging landslides” in the cities of Malibu and Beverly Hills in Los Angeles County, along with the Santa Monica Mountains and adjacent foothills.
Evacuation orders: Some residents inSanta Barbara, San José,Los Angelesand Ventura County were under evacuation orders issued over the weekend as officials warned of potential “life-threatening” floods and landslides. Officials were seen going door-to-door on Sunday giving evacuation warnings in Sun Valley, California, according to CNN affiliate KABC.
Snow in mountains: Significant snowfall totals are expected in eastern California and along Nevada’s border, with heavy and wet snow spreading across the Sierra Nevada through Monday with accumulation rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour, according to the weather service. Dangerous wind gusts are expected to produce whiteout conditions making travel above 5,000 to 6,000 feet “near impossible,” the weather servicesaid.
School cancelled: Several school districts in Santa Barbara County have canceled classes on Monday due to the severe weather, while others including California State University Fullerton switched to remote learning.
A person rides a bike through floodwater during a storm in Santa Barbara, California, Sunday, February 4. Eric Thayer/Bloomberg/Getty Images
Over 14 million people are under a high risk of excessive rainfall on Monday across Southern California, according to the Weather Prediction Center.
The WPC has issued a rare level 4 out of 4 warning to affected areas including Downtown Los Angeles, Anaheim and Long Beach.
Rainfall rates across this high-risk area could approach 1 inch per hour, which could lead to rainfall totals of 4 to 8 inches, and possibly reach 8 to 14 inches in mountain and foothill terrains.
The warning in context: Rare Level 4 “high risk” alerts are issued on fewer than 4% of days per year on average, but are responsible for more than 80% of all flood-related damage and 39% of all flood-related deaths.
This event is part of an atmospheric river: a moisture plume pumping off the Pacific Ocean, feeding off warmer-than-average waters.
The Santa Barbara Airport closed Sunday evening due to flooding on the airfield, officials said in a post on the airport’s website.
“All commercial flights have been canceled, private and general aviation operations are paused, and the Terminal is closed until further notice,” the post read.
The airport encompasses 952 acres, according to its website.
Amospheric rivers are wide-reaching plumes of moisture that act like a firehose, tapping into warm, moist air from the tropics that storms can then unload as drenching rainfall and heavy snow over land.
These types of storms are winter hallmarks across the West Coast. Not all are harmful. Weaker atmospheric rivers deliver much-needed rainfall and snow to the region during the wettest months of the year.
This rainfall and snow is vital to western water supplies. It fills up water reservoirs that are critical resources during dry, hot summers.
But atmospheric rivers can quickly become more hazardous than helpful. Excessive rainfall unleashed by these potent storms increases the chances for flooding, particularly when a series of storms happen in sequence with little time to dry out between.
Last week’s atmospheric river broke multiple rainfall records across California and triggered road closures and water rescues.
Atmospheric rivers aren’t exclusive to the West Coast. They can also impact the eastern US and happen frequently in parts of Europe, Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
