STORY: Dramatic images of a helicopter operation in Laguna Hills, California, between Los Angeles and San Diego. A woman clung to a tree over the weekend in fear of the rapidly swelling Aliso Creek. Heavy rains had previously caused the river to burst its banks. Orange County Fire Authority used a helicopter, from which a rescuer lowered himself to bring the woman to safety. According to the authorities, she was unharmed and was able to return to her family. Severe flooding, storms and mudslides have ravaged the state of California in recent weeks, causing fatalities and extensive damage. So-called atmospheric fluxes are considered to be the reason for this. These are bands of moisture-saturated air from the equatorial regions, up to 600 kilometers wide and up to several thousand kilometers long. US President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency for the states of California and Alabama over the weekend because of the storms. In the face of persistent winter storms in California, he ordered federal aid for recovery and repair work in the affected regions. The rains had started on December 26, following a dry spell. The US National Weather Service predicted more winter storms for the Great Plains in the central US by mid-week. In the west of the country, light to heavy rain and snowfall are to be expected.
