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In the American state of California, more than 30,000 people have already been evacuated due to strong winds and large amounts of water. 14 people have died so far.
Heavy rain and wind are common in the wintertime in the American state of California. What is new, however, is the intensity with which massive winter storms have been sweeping across the region for almost two weeks. Strong winds cause trees to be uprooted, and heavy rains cause flooding. Many residents are no longer safe in their homes, and almost 30,000 people have had to be evacuated from villages so far.
Heavy rain flooded a street in Santa Cruz on California’s central coast. Because so much precipitation falls in such a short time and in a small area, so-called atmospheric flows are created.
In the village of Aptos, the storm destroyed houses on the coast. On Monday, workers began cleaning up.
Residents in the state of Oregon, which borders California, are also affected by the strong winds. The National Weather Service issued a high surf warning for the area, with waves potentially reaching around 10 meters high.
In Montecito, due to heavy rainfall, an adjacent stream overflowed and flooded the street.
A tree fell on the power line in Scotts Valley due to high winds. The valley is directly above Silicon Valley, where many tech companies are based.
A development with holiday complexes and apartments for seniors was flooded. The California governor declared a state of emergency. This frees up funds from the federal government in Washington.
The rain and winds have been going on for almost two weeks. However, the floods are not only due to the heavy rainfall, but also to the ailing infrastructure in the state of California.
In southern San Francisco, the roof of a gas station collapsed due to strong winds. There is already talk of damage in the range of several billion dollars.
Homes were no longer safe for many California residents. Almost 30,000 have had to be evacuated so far.
The winds were sometimes so strong that they uprooted trees.
The storm is not just limited to the state of California. Heavy rain also caused flooding in Georgia.
