Heavy rainstorms hit California early Thursday, bringing high winds, heavy rain, snow, and power outages as locals braced for flooding. It is the state's third encounter with an atmospheric river since December 26.
According to Nancy Ward, "We believe that this could be one of the most difficult and significant sequence of storms to hit California in the last five years."
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a statewide disaster declaration on Wednesday to assist agencies in getting aid and resources to where they are needed, according to Ward.
As the system approaches, numerous places will be subjected to the effects of a bomb cyclone.
Forecasters have been warning about the storm for days, saying it may hit land as early as Tuesday night.
Rainfall is expected to range from 2 to 4 inches around the coasts, valleys, and deserts, with mountains receiving up to 10 inches of rain and heavy snow at higher elevations.
Forecasters are encouraging people to exercise extra caution in places where wildfires have recently burned vegetation, citing the increased potential of flash flooding and mudslides.