California storm: Possible tornado hits southern region, flash flood warnings in LA – live

The death toll has increased to at least nine people from California’s severe storms, officials said.

The storm, which has unleashed biblical proportions of rain this week, was expected to continue impacting the state until Thursday or Friday.

Read Louise Boyle’s recap here:

Five US Marines have been confirmed dead after their helicopter went down during severe weather in California.

The CH-53E helicopter was recovered in the Cleveland National Forest outside of San Diego. The cause of the crash is being investigated, CNN reported.

The aircraft had been travelling to a base in southern California from Nevada when it went missing.

Officials are predicting that Friday could be the last chance for rain with a dry weekend ahead. Southern California is currently expecting its wettest two-day period since 1877.

So far, 13 inches of wind has battered the area, leaving homes significantly damaged. The state had recently been in a drought but experts say that violent weather transitions are to be expected as the planet warms.

Two atmospheric rivers have battered California in last two weeks, with the recent storm bringing record-breaking rains.

A time-lapse video of the satellite footage shared by Colorado based Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere CIRA) shows the evolution of these weather systems.

Community organisers have accused Los Angeles authorities of “bold-faced lies” and said the city’s response to its unhoused population during the recent catastrophic storms has been “abysmal”.

Despite promises that extra aid would be available, contact with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) has reportedly been difficult, exacerbated by the fact that many seeking shelter do not have phones or internet access.

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The storm fuelled by the second of back-to-back atmospheric rivers to hit California in days brought over 500 harrowing mudslides in the state.

Some residents are cleaning up fallen trees and debris, while others say their homes are too damaged for them to live in.

Wendy Barron escaped her Hacienda Heights home during Tuesday’s historic downpours in Southern California. Her husband, Jesus Barron, told The Associated Press that he answered his wife’s panicked phone call warning him that a mudslide was smashing into their bedroom.

“She called me and told me the mountain was coming down,” he recalled on Wednesday. “I thought the worst.”

heir home was seriously damaged when mud flowed down the hillside and blasted through the two retaining walls the family built when they moved in seven years ago.

“It’s not enough to stop Mother Nature, of course,” Mr Barron said.

While the couple was able to retrieve some belongings, their house isn’t liveable, they say. Now, they need to decide whether they want to return once it’s repaired.

“We love it here,” Mr Barron said. “However, it wouldn’t be easy to go through this again.”

A flash flood warning is in place for parts of California, including Los Angeles, Long Beach and Pomona, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.

The warning will stay in place until 3am. NWS urged drivers to take extra precaution on the road and avoid driving through flooded roads.

The National Weather Service has issued tornado and hail warnings for residents in Morro Bay and Los Osos. While pea-sized hail and 55mph winds are possible in Atascadero CA, Morro Bay CA and Cayucos CA until 4.15 PM PST.

The tornado warning has only been issued for 4.15pm

On Monday, Long Beach City Health Officer, Dr Anissa Davis, ordered all recreational swimming areas temporarily closed for water contact due to two separate sewage spills.

Sewage had also leaked into the Compton Creek leading to the Los Angeles River, the release added.

In addition to the spill in Rancho Dominguez – located between Compton and Long Beach – another 40,000 gallons of sewage were reported to have spilled in the City of Commerce. Mike Bedigan reports.