California hurricane warning: Atmospheric river hits California with hurricane-force winds

The Weather Prediction Center registered a level four out of four on the scale of the risk of flash flooding and excessive rainfall around Los Angeles County as well as the traverse mountain ranges two days in a row.

Evacuation orders were issued in Ventura County, an area facing runoff coming down from mountain areas seeing a foot of rain.

Large parts of the California coastline were placed under flood watches, in addition to the issuing of warnings of the strong winds.

Heavy rainfall and hurricane-force winds in California have cancelled the final round of the professional golf tournament at Pebble Beach in Monterey County.

The PGA Tour ended the event after only three days, as the forecast showed heavy rain on Monday, naming Wyndham Clark the winner.

California governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in eight counties with a combined population of more than 20 million people, and flash flood warnings were issued for parts of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.

California was hit by a significant atmospheric river on Sunday, with warnings being issued of major flash flooding, dangerous winds, tornadoes in some areas, and large amounts of snow in the mountains.

By early afternoon, more than 100,000 customers were out of power, according to poweroutage.us.

Rockslides and mudslides were set to hit the state as it faced months worth of rain in the course of days in the mountains just north of Los Angeles, The Washington Post noted.

The National Weather Service in Oxnard said the ongoing event “one of the most dramatic weather days in recent memory,” adding that the flash flooding could be “life-threatening”.

The Sunland Senior Citizen Center and Lake View Terrace Recreation Center are serving as evacuation centres, and the department urged residents to take larger animals to the Hansen Dam Horse Park and LA Equestrian Center.

Shadow Hills has a significant number of stables and riding clubs, CNN noted.

“Debris flows can bring water, mud, boulders, and other debris that can cover cars and houses. Pack all people and pets into your vehicle and leave the area immediately,” the department said in a statement.

More than seven million sandbags have been prepared to stem the flow of the expected water flows, the director of the California Office of Emergency Services, Nancy Ward, told the press on Saturday.

Eric Schoening at the National Weather Service said, “This damaging flooding will be a threat to lives and property,” according to CNN.

The worst of the storm is expected to hit the state between Sunday and Tuesday.