Winter weather wreaking havoc across two continents
Los Angeles, CA, United States (AHN) – Southern California, deluged with rain for the last few days, on Thursday received a respite from the devastating storms that have plagued the state. Rolling storms from the Pacific have wreaked havoc on California since Friday and resulted in a massive statewide cleanup for area residents and government agencies.
Forecasters are predicting a slight chance of morning showers followed by afternoon sunny weather. Despite the improvement, the region remains under a flood warning.
Some creeks have overflowed, causing mud to cascade through portions of Highland and Laguna Beach. Prisoners on work release have been called in to clean up the mess.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in six counties Wednesday as rainstorms continued for a fifth day.
Kern, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo and Tulare counties, all in southern California, were authorized by his decree to receive state assistance.
Other portions of California saw nearly 26 inches of rain.
Flood watches and warnings also remain in effect in western Arizona, southern Nevada and southwestern Utah until the early hours of Friday. Mudslides are still an ongoing threat for the region since it has been inundated with rain for several days.
Snow and rainfall totals from the storms reached such high levels residents were totally unprepared. Late Wednesday some mountain areas had more than 13 feet of snow fall.
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic record setting weather and snowfall has cancelled or delayed hundreds of flights across Europe. The adverse weather, unprepared airports and hazardous conditions for ground transport have ruined Christmas for millions of travelers.
London’s Heathrow airport announced Tuesday that it would function at one-third capacity until Thursday morning. With even more severe weather forecast, it’s doubtful that capacity will be reached.
Thousands of flights have been cancelled this week and nearly 200 countries are affected, costing airlines untold millions.
View full post on All Stories
