Hit by an "incessant parade of cyclones" according to the meteorological services, California will experience new deluges on Thursday.

Floods and landslides have already claimed at least 18 lives.

The forecast bad weather will move towards the northern part of this western American state, warned the National Weather Service (NHS).

Other states on the northwest Pacific coast are expected to be affected early Saturday, he added later.

“The heaviest rains are expected to impact northwestern California for the next two days,” with rainfall of up to a few centimeters, according to the NHS.

The point in pictures on the damage caused by the weather.


Directed by:

Olivier JUSZCZAK

  • The torrential rains of the previous days on already waterlogged soils generated widespread power outages, numerous floods, uprooted many trees and cut off major roads in California, the floods sometimes dragging motorists.

  • The state is currently undergoing "an endless onslaught of atmospheric rivers", unprecedented since 2005 according to the weather services.

  • These “rivers of the sky,” which form with water vapor from the tropics and travel to then pour waterspouts down the west coast of the United States, are rarely so common.

  • While it is difficult to establish a direct link between these series of storms and climate change, scientists regularly explain that warming increases the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.

  • Last week's storm had already knocked out power to tens of thousands of people, caused severe flooding and triggered landslides.

  • It had come just days after another deluge of rain on New Year's Eve.

  • According to California services, the storms of the past few weeks have caused at least 18 deaths, "more than the forest fires of the past two years".

  • According to the

    Los Angeles Times

    , the deadly toll of recent storms includes motorists trapped by flooding in their cars.

  • Residents crushed by falling trees, a couple killed by a landslide and bodies washed away by the waves.

  • More than 35,000 homes and businesses were without power early Thursday, according to the specialized site PowerOutage.us.

  • In places, levels of precipitation not reached for 150 years have been recorded.

  • California, hit by an "incessant parade of cyclones" according to the meteorological services, will experience new deluges on Thursday.

  • The forecast bad weather will move towards the northern part of this western American state, warned the National Weather Service (NHS).

  • Other states on the northwest Pacific coast are expected to be affected early Saturday, he added later.

  • “The heaviest rains are expected to impact northwestern California for the next two days,” with rainfall of up to a few centimeters, according to the NHS.

  • Part of northern California was placed under flood alerts or winter weather warnings on Wednesday.

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