The US state has been hit by severe winter storms since late December. As Governor Gavin Newsom (55) has now announced, the harsh winter weather has already killed 14 people.
That’s more life than the wildfires of the past two years combined, Newsom said in a statement Monday night (local time). “Our message to Californians is simple: be extremely vigilant,” he said. There were still a few days of severe winter weather ahead.
Harry and Meghan are also affected
California is currently experiencing its third week of severe winter storms with heavy rains, strong winds and flooding. It was not until Monday that authorities in several regions again ordered evacuations. Prince Harry (38) and Meghan Markle (41) had to flee their property in Montecito, California with their family on Monday. Authorities warn of a flash flood. Oprah Winfrey (68) and other celebrities also live in Montecito.
In the south of the west coast state, in the region around the coastal city of Santa Barbara, floods and avalanches of mud and boulders were warned.
Many streams and rivers in the most populous US state have burst their banks as a result of winter storms, and some roads in the hardest-hit regions are impassable. Due to the already wet ground, authorities are also warning of flash floods and mudslides, particularly in areas where previous wildfires have destroyed plant cover. (SDA)