After suffering a series of devastating fires, California prepares for the arrival of an atmospheric river that will bring heavy rains, winds and floods.
The authorities in California distributed sandbags, relocated rescue swimmers and asked residents to have their emergency kits ready while the State is preparing for the arrival of an atmospheric river that could leave strong rains, winds and floods on Thursday in areas devastated by forest fires.
The term atmospheric river is defined as close areas in the atmosphere that transport significant amounts of humidity to areas outside the tropics. Meteorology experts argue that while they are a natural part of hydrology, their frequency and intensity could change due to climate change.
In southern California, up to 15 centimeters (six inches) of rain in the mountains and around 7.6 cm (three inches) in coastal areas and valleys could fall, according to Brent Bower, hydrologist of the National Meteorology Service. Strong wind bursts could knock down trees, cause power cuts and take flights.
Evacuation warnings were issued for Mandeville Canyon and other areas devastated by the Palisades fire, the most destructive fire in the history of the city of Los Angeles, in the face of concerns about possible rubble floods during the next storm. There were also notices for Trabuco Canyon and other areas close to the area razed by the airport fire.
All Malibu schools will remain closed on Thursday and the Knott's Berry Farm Park closed early Wednesday due to the Atmospheric River, a long band of water vapor that can transport moisture from the tropics to areas to the north.
Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California in Agriculture and Natural Resources, said the area desperately needs rain, but this could reach too intense and fast. The result could be riad with sudden debris and floods around the areas burned by forest fires.
These burned areas are at a greater risk of debris flows because the vegetation that helps keep the soil anchored has burned and there are loose debris such as ashes, earth and rocks, he explained in a statement.
County officials said the roads could be closed and urged residents to be prepared in case a mandatory evacuation order is issued.
The rain follows Wednesday's storms, which left strong snowfall and frozen rain on a strip in eastern United States, from Kentucky to the capital of the country, causing hundreds of traffic accidents, power cuts in some places and threatening to flood with flooding river routes.
The stormy system, which was from Kentucky to Maryland and points to the north on Tuesday, left more than 37 centimeters (14 inches) of snow in Iron Gate, a small town of the Apalaches in the West Virginia, and 30 cm (12 inches) In White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, a small city about 105 kilometers (65 miles) west, according to the National Meteorology Service.
In the early hours of Thursday, more than 150.00 clients in Virginia and more than 13,000 in North Carolina still without electricity, according to Poweroutage.us. Appalachian Power, who serves a million customers in Virginia Occidental, Virginia and Tennessee, said that more than 5,700 workers were trying to recover the electricity service.
The airports in the region received several centimeters of snow, according to Scott Kleebauer, meteorologist at the service meteorological prediction center.
Almost 7,000 flights were canceled or suffered delays throughout the United States on Wednesday, including almost 300 to Ronald Reagan National Airport, near Washington, DC, according to the FlightTaware.com flight monitoring site.