On the West Coast, where a major storm is bringing
torrential rain and potentially deadly flooding to millions of people,
Rob Marciano is in Santa Barbara,
CA, and Rob, people there have been told to seek
higher ground.
The IGO get to higher ground away from areas that
flash flood and get to ground that honestly,
he's just isn't going to move because we're worried about
mud slides.
Certainly here in in Santa Barbara we have a history
of some horrific mud slides over the past several years.
In the past week, the rainfall that we got has
primed the pump for more in the way of damaging
and potentially deadly days ahead.
This morning California bracing for a life threatening storm unleashing
strong winds,
high waves and widespread flooding.
With 40 million people under alert,
this storm is predicted to be one of the largest
and most significant in our county's history.
Santa Barbara expected to get torrential rains and damaging winds.
Officials issuing door to door evacuation orders throughout the county.
This is a particularly dangerous situation.
This damaging flooding will be a threat to lives and
property.
The system could produce 6 to 12 inches of rain,
double what most places see in the entire month of
February.
Significant rain and flooding led to several local businesses closing
Friday in Orange County.
We just got inundated with water,
actually got to a point where the water was about
14 inches deep inside the store.
This past week, 4 vehicles were swept under a bridge
in Long Beach.
Flood water covering the 710 Freeway in both directions,
snarling traffic and many streets across several counties inundated with
water.
The rain with this system is already hitting Northern California.
It is on our doorstep.
The winds obviously are picking up as well.
We've got high wind warnings up,
but that's going to push some of the surf up
too. So this atmospheric river really going to thrash the
state
over the next two days with potentially damaging impacts,
40 million people under alerts.
All right, Rob, thank you so much.
Let's see now where the storm is heading tomorrow.
Theodore is here with the forecast.
Good morning. Tomorrow. Good morning,
Geo. So this is a look at our satellite and
radar.
It's showing us that the waves of rain have already
begun to propagate into the state of California leading to
this flash flood threat.
Here's the thing, where Rob is in Santa Barbara in
the last seven days,
they have seen 300% of their normal rainfall by this
time of year already.
So as he was saying,
the grounds not going to be able to absorb the
rain that's coming on Sunday.
Los Angeles seeing that threat on Monday we could see
flash flooding mud slides as well.
This is life threatening rain.
Timing this out. Northern California still seeing rain this evening.
Los Angeles specifically, 5:00 PM.
The Grammys taking place there.
Heavy rain really starting to move through the city of
Los Angeles by the morning commute.
A lot of that heavier rain now situated over San
Diego.
And then by tomorrow afternoon the intensity comes down a
bit.
But we're still seeing this compounded effect of light to
moderate rain pushing through.
Even into Tuesday, we're seeing some light rain and flood
warnings now further inland into the mountains,
2 to 4 feet of snow,
80 mile per hour wind gusts.
Major power outages and they could see anywhere from 6
to 12 inches of rain and some of the foothills
near Los Angeles.
Really a ways to go before it's all over,
Samara. Thank you.