December 25 on The United States of America was hit by a powerful ice storm that paralyzed the work of airports. Many people who went to celebrate Christmas turned out to be hostages of the elements. In just 12 hours, 20 cm of rain fell in California, leaving tens of thousands of homes and 100,000 people without electricity. Since then, heavy rains, floods and landslides have not stopped. Read today in USA.ONE:
California storm kills 20 people
Tens of thousands more were evacuated for safety.
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The coastal area of Montecito, a city of the rich and famous, located 140 km from Los Angeles, was hit by the elements. About 9 thousand people live in the village, including TV presenters Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres, as well as Prince Harry with his wife Meghan Markle and their two children.
Flood waters carried a 5-year-old boy to Montecito, who was driving a pickup truck to school with his mother. A stream of water hit the car and carried the child out of the passenger compartment. Rescuers searched for him for 7 hours, finding the boy's shoes after a while. Later, the divers had to stop searching because of the great danger to life. Caring passers-by helped to pull the child's mother out of the car, saving her life.
On January 9, US President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency in the state. On the same day, emergency services issued an evacuation order for all residents of Montecito. Speaking at a press conference on January 10, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the worst is yet to come and even more heavy rains are expected in the near future.
Ellen DeGeneres, a celebrity living in the city, posted on her social network page a video from the banks of a flooded stream, saying that it is located next to her house and is usually not noticeable at all. As of January 9, the water level in it has risen by 2.7 meters and this is not the limit.
"This is crazy! The water in the creek is about to rise another 2 feet," — the TV presenter complained against the backdrop of a stormy stream rushing past.
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Montecito is home to some of the most expensive real estate in the US. The median home value is $4 million. The city is located near Santa Barbara, while several small settlements were in the disaster zone. Rescuers and police simply could not reach some areas. In just a few days, the storm touched 90% of California residents, or 10% of the entire US population. Initially, 14 deaths were reported, but the figure quickly increased to 18, and then to 20.
At risk of flooding were 34 million people in America's most populous state. Anyone who could not leave the disaster area was ordered to take shelter in a room deep inside the house or climb as high as possible. Meanwhile, meteorologists warned that a new round of storms would bring downpours to already flooded rivers, and damaging winds would knock down trees and power poles. Heavy snow was expected in the mountains of California. Flooding threatens Orange County, the Sacramento Valley, and areas around Los Angeles.
Tomorrow, January 19, Joe Biden is due to visit California. He is scheduled to assess the required level of federal support. The President of the United States will meet with rescuers and personally decide what other assistance is needed for the victims. On the allocation of such the White House announced on 15 January. It is noted that federal funding will be available to people affected by landslides, floods and storms in Merced, Santa Cruz and Sacramento counties.
