California is on alert for the “cyclone bomb” which, with heavy rains and winds traveling at 110 kilometers per hour, is causing major disruption. More than 174,000 homes and offices have already been left without power and there is a risk of flooding especially in the San Francisco and Sacramento areas. Governor Gavin Newsom has already declared a state of emergency to facilitate relief efforts. In San Francisco the alarm is high: many bars and restaurants have been closed and the firefighters have invited citizens to pay close attention following the danger of falling trees.
Residents of coastal Santa Barbara County affected by the severe fires in recent years have been asked to move away from their homes. The area, where 23 people died in 2018, including two children whose bodies have never been found, due to landslides caused by the rains that destroyed more than 100 homes, is considered high risk. “A lot of water will fall from the surrounding hills and this could become a danger” especially in the vicinity of waterways, the authorities explained.