WEB DESK /
A powerful storm lashed California and other parts of the western United States yesterday, bringing flooding and the risk of dangerous mudslides to a state that has struggled with drought for years.
According to reports, of late morning, the storm was dumping between one-half and three-quarters of an inch of rain per hour in parts of California and was set to continue for several hours, according to meteorologist Kenny James of the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center in Maryland.
In Oregon and parts of Washington State and Idaho, the storm was expected to bring ice through this evening, creating hazardous conditions. James said the highest elevations of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California could get 3 to 7 feet of snow by today.
In northern California, officials reported power outages and roads closed due to overflowing rivers. An extreme avalanche warning was issued for the Sierra Nevada range, which runs through the central and eastern part of the state. The National Park Service said all roads to the valley in Yosemite National Park were closed because of expected flooding.