There have been severe storms in California for weeks. At least five people have since died in the storm.
San Francisco – At least five people have been killed in violent winter storms in northern California in the United States. According to the city of San Francisco, two people died Wednesday from injuries sustained during the extreme weather. In Oakland, a homeless man was recovered dead from his tent that was hit by a fallen tree, the reported San Francisco Chronicle.
A falling tree also resulted in one death in the Contra Costa district. The tree fell on a moving car, killing one of the occupants, the local fire department said. In Portola Valley, a person in their vehicle was also killed in this way. In San Francisco alone, more than 700 trees are believed to have been downed or damaged, city officials said.
Tornadoes devastate California – otherwise the state has to struggle with heat
California is known worldwide for its beaches and sunshine, and the region regularly experiences extremely high temperatures and heat waves. For years there have been regular fires in California, which are getting bigger and more intense. There have been severe storms for weeks now.
A tornado raged in Montebello, a city near the metropolis of Los Angeles, on Wednesday (March 22). The roofs of houses were taken off and cars were spun around. “It was just chaos,” a city businessman told the TV station KTLA. Images of the destruction can be seen in video recordings, showing damaged industrial buildings and the destroyed sewage system. Road damage, flooding and landslides have also been reported. In addition, tens of thousands of people had no electricity at times.
California storm dead – rain record likely broken
The storms also cause significantly more rain than usual in the US state. The all-time rain record for the state might fall, according to the weather service. But the rain does not only have disadvantages – following the heat waves of recent years, California’s water reservoirs are well filled once more for the first time and the soil is saturated.
The USA is regularly hit by storms, just a few weeks ago there were also deaths as a result of a tornado in the state of Alabama. (kiba/dpa/AFP)