Severe weather: Extreme weather events in the USA bring death and destruction

storm
Extreme weather in the US brings death and destruction

An SUV destroyed by the storm in Alabama. photo

© Vasha Hunt/AP/dpa

First years of drought, now heavy rains: A sustained series of winter storms floods California, people are dying. Meanwhile, deadly hurricanes are raging on the US east coast.

Flooded towns and meters of snow on the west coast, deadly hurricanes in the south-east: According to the authorities and the media, at least 26 people have died in the USA due to extreme weather. In California alone, the number of deaths, for example from falling trees or flash floods, rose to 19 by Thursday (local time).

According to meteorologists, there is no end in sight to the strong winter storms in the usually sun-kissed state on the west coast. The persistent rainfall has turned small streams into raging rivers, and parts of the most populous US state are under water. More victims are feared.

At the same time, tornadoes and severe storms in the southeastern United States claimed at least nine lives. The state of Alabama was hit hardest, where seven people died, as the police in the Autauga district of the German Press Agency confirmed. According to the authorities, no other people are currently missing in the district. In Autauga and in the town of Selma, around 50 kilometers away, the storm had raged particularly hard, according to the emergency services. Dozens of houses were destroyed or badly damaged. The weather service reported 33 tornadoes or severe storms nationwide.

In Selma, most roads were closed due to broken power lines and trees, the city said on Facebook. Rescue teams are on duty to provide assistance and clear the streets. Citizens were asked not to go outside. Children should not leave schools. The weather service had warned of a “large and extremely dangerous tornado” in the area.

Five-year-old child killed in tree

In neighboring Georgia, a five-year-old child was killed when a tree fell on a car. An employee of the Georgia Department of Transportation was also killed, it said. The governor of Georgia confirmed both deaths on Friday. A tornado was also spotted near Atlanta International Airport, the busiest US airport by passenger numbers. According to the US aviation authority FAA, aircraft had to remain temporarily on the ground on Thursday due to severe storms. According to the website poweroutage.us, around 60,000 households in Alabama and Georgia were without power on Friday night. On Friday afternoon (local time) there were still a good 30,000 households.

Concern in the coastal district of Monterey County

In California, the situation in the coastal district of Monterey County, south of San Francisco, threatens to deteriorate further. Monterey’s popular tourist area could be partially cut off from the rest of the state if water levels rise, Sheriff Tina Nieto warned. “Some of the roads will be closed and you could be stuck on one side or the other.”

The busy Highway 1 is at risk of flooding if the Salinas River overflows its banks any further. The emergency could arrive as early as Friday after further heavy rains. Residents in lower-lying areas have already had to pack their things and get to safety. The authorities warned to follow evacuation calls. The most recent flood disaster in the important fruit and vegetable growing area in the Salinas Valley was in 1995, killing more than a dozen people.

Warning of further rainstorms

Further south, in Santa Barbara County, clean-up efforts from the past few days’ flooding were still ongoing. Authorities warned of more rainstorms over the weekend. At the beginning of the week, several towns were evacuated as a precaution. The town of Montecito, where Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan, Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGenres and other celebrities live, was also affected.

Actor Rob Lowe also experienced storms. “I’m lucky to be here at all,” the 58-year-old star said Thursday night (local time) at a film premiere in Los Angeles, according to People.com. He and his neighbors in Santa Barbara were stranded for a day and a half after a fallen tree blocked the access road.

Ellen DeGeneres documented the flooding with a selfie video next to a muddy torrent on Instagram. In the video, DeGeneres also recalled the severe flooding and mudslides that occurred in the area five years ago. “People have lost their homes and lives,” she said.

In January 2018, 23 people were killed by mudslides in Montecito. Water and rubble ripped away houses, and the mud was sometimes waist-deep in the streets. Large-scale forest and bush fires had previously raged there. This made the ground on slopes extremely unstable and particularly prone to landslides after heavy rain.

Rain after years of drought

Despite the threat, the rains are also welcome. In recent years, California had been suffering from an historic drought. According to scientists, climate change is exacerbating drought, heat and extreme weather, which can also contribute to more violent forest fires.

Many reservoirs and water reservoirs are now filling up again, and the snow cover in the Sierra Nevada is higher than it has been for years. The most recent series of storms brought several meters of snow to ski resorts in the California mountain range.

dpa

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