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President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency in California after a series of storms hit the Golden State, leaving around a dozen people dead.
Several storms, as part of an “atmospheric river,” have impacted California over the past two weeks and caused hundreds of thousands of customers to lose power, according to Poweroutage.us. As of Monday morning, the website shows that more than 100,000 are without power.
Since Dec. 26, San Francisco has received more than 10 inches of rain, while Mammoth Mountain, a popular ski area in the Eastern Sierra, got nearly 10 feet of snow, the National Weather Service has said.
The emergency declaration allows the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate disaster relief efforts and use emergency resources, said the White House in a statement Monday.
Biden, who is currently in Mexico, declared that an “emergency exists” in California following “successive and severe winter storms, flooding, and mudslides.” FEMA is authorized to provide “equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency,” the statement said.
Over the weekend, in anticipation of more storms, the National Weather Service warned of a “relentless parade of atmospheric rivers” that will likely hit California.
“Two major episodes of heavy rain and heavy mountain snow are expected to impact California in quick succession during the next couple of days in association with two of the more energetic and moisture-laden parade of cyclones that are aiming directly for California,” the Weather Service said Monday.
