Evacuees Steve Allen (R) and Alicia Castro (L) lay on a cot at the Placer County Fairgrounds evacuation centre in Roseville, California. Photo: AFP

Western US hit by evacuations due to heavy rain and snow

Published: 1:22am, 18 Feb 2017

Intense rain, heavy snow and strong winds pounded California and southern Oregon on Friday, prompting the evacuation of dozens of homes east of Los Angeles, officials said.

The severe storm, with what may be California’s heaviest rainfall in six years, was expected to last through the weekend, the National Weather Service said.

“This looks to be the strongest storm to hit southwest California this season,” it said in a statement.

As much as 10 inches (25 cm) of rain could fall at a rate of 1 inch (3 cm) per hour in parts of southern California on Friday, the weather service said.

For buildings in parts of the snow-covered U.S. West, it has become a winter where the weak do not survive. The accumulated weight of snow has crushed an old lumber mill in Oregon, the main grocery store in a small Idaho town, a sports complex in Alaska and a conference centre in Colorado, among others. Photo: AP

The city of Duarte, about 20 miles (32 km) east of Los Angeles, said in a statement it had ordered residents of 180 homes to evacuate given the potential for mudslides.

A forest fire charred an area above their homes last year, prompting concerns that rainwater could displace mud where there is no vegetation.

The downpours in other heavily populated areas of Southern California, including parts of Santa Barbara and Ventura counties also recently hit by wildfires, could create the risk of mud and debris flows there too, the weather service said.

“There will likely be widespread urban roadway flooding,” it said. “There will also be a significant threat of rock and mudslides, especially near canyon roadways.”

A man with a child using a broom as a paddle kayak near an abandoned car on a flooded street in Kentfield, California. Photo: AP

Rain was also forecast for Northern California and southern Oregon, where the weather service issued a flood warning until Friday afternoon.

In higher areas of eastern California and western Nevada, as much as 2 feet (60 cm) of snow could cause whiteouts, forecasters said.

The area should also expect gusts of 75 mph (120 kph), potentially causing widespread power outages on Friday and Saturday, the service said.

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