December 25 on The United States of America was hit by a powerful ice storm that paralyzed airport operations. Many people who went to celebrate Christmas found themselves hostage to the elements. In just 12 hours, 20 cm of rain fell in California, leaving tens of thousands of homes and 100 thousand people without electricity. Since then, heavy rains, floods and landslides have not stopped. Read today in USA.ONE:
Storm in California kills 20 people
Tens of thousands more were evacuated for safety.
Due to flooding in California, an entire city was evacuated » />
photo: el .kz
The coastal area of Montecito, a city of the rich and famous, located 140 km from Los Angeles, was hit by the elements. The village is home to about 9 thousand people, including TV presenters Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres, as well as Prince Harry with his wife Meghan Markle and their two children.
Floodwaters carried away a 5-year-old boy in 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 car. Rescuers searched for him for 7 hours, discovering the boy’s shoe after a while. Later, divers had to stop searching due to the great danger to life. Concerned passersby helped pull the child's mother out of the car, saving her life.
photo: worldphotos.com
On January 9, US President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency in the state. That same day, emergency services issued an evacuation order for all residents of Montecito. Speaking at a press conference on January 10, California Governor Gavin Newsom said that the worst is yet to come and that even heavier rains than before are expected in the near future.
Ellen DeGeneres, a celebrity living in the city, posted on her page on social media, a video from the banks of a flooded stream, saying that it was located next to her house and was usually not noticeable at all. As of January 9, the water level in it rose by 2.7 meters and this is not the limit.
"This is madness! The creek is about to rise another 2 feet" — the TV presenter complained against the backdrop of a stormy stream rushing past.
photo: newpost.gr
Montecito is home to some of the most expensive real estate in the United States. The average home price is $4 million. The city is located near Santa Barbara, and several small settlements were also in the disaster zone. Rescuers and police simply could not reach some areas. In just a few days, the storm affected 90% of Californians, or 10% of the entire US population. Initially, 14 deaths were reported, but the figure quickly increased to 18 and then to 20.
Floods threaten 34 million people in America's most populous state. Anyone unable to 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 heavy rains to already flooded rivers, and damaging winds would knock down trees and power poles. Heavy snow was expected in the California mountains. Orange County, the Sacramento Valley and areas around Los Angeles are at risk of flooding.
photo: photos.com
Tomorrow, January 19, Joe Biden is due to visit California. It is planned that he will assess the required level of federal support. The US President will meet with rescuers and personally decide what other help the victims need. The White House announced its allocation on January 15. It is noted that federal funding will be available to people affected by landslides, floods and storms in Merced, Santa Cruz and Sacramento counties.
