A powerful storm brought drenching rain or heavy snowfall to much of California on Saturday, snarling traffic and closing highways as the state prepared to usher in a new year.
The so-called atmospheric river storm was pulling in a long and wide plume of moisture from the Pacific Ocean. Flooding and rock slides closed portions of roads across Northern California.
By Nouran Salahieh, CNN Northern California was inundated with widespread flooding and power outages as a powerful atmospheric river barreled into the region, forcing water rescues, several highway closures, evacuation warnings and shelter-in-place orders.
Throughout the weekend, dozens of people throughout California have been rescued amid historic rainfall and flooding. Thousands in Sacramento are still without power after facing wind gusts of more than 64 mph and rushing water after a river levee failed.
A life-threatening storm knocked out power for tens of thousands of homes and businesses in California, brought dangerous flooding and left a young child dead.
Damaging winds and heavy rains hit California on Thursday, knocking out power to tens of thousands, causing flash flooding, and leaving a child dead after a tree fell on a home.
Roughly 560,000 homes are without power in California and the National Weather Service is warning that recent downpours may cause flooding throughout the state.
