US President Joe Biden on Thursday said “the situation is still treacherous” after visiting flood-damaged regions of California, which were hit by record levels of rain in a series of storms over the course of three weeks.
“While the situation is still treacherous, we're cautiously optimistic that the worst part is behind,” he said in remarks from Santa Cruz, a beach town south of San Francisco and north of Los Angeles.
“Some of the destruction is going to take years to fully recover and rebuild. But we got to not just rebuild, but rebuild better.”
From December 26 to January 15, California experienced at least nine atmospheric rivers — fierce rainfall from a narrow formulation of concentrated water vapour in the sky moving through jet streams.
More than 121 trillion litres of water were dumped on the drought-stricken state.
The storms led to evacuation orders for several counties, caused flooding and mudslides, and knocked out power for hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses.
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After days of rain, Bear Creek in Merced, California, overflowed its banks, flooding dozens of homes and vehicles. AP -
People look at storm debris on the beach, with a storm-damaged pier in the background, in Capitola. Getty / AFP -
A dead sea lion on a beach in Aptos. Getty / AFP -
The San Francisco Bay Area and much of northern California continues to get drenched by powerful atmospheric river events. Getty / AFP -
A hailstorm in San Francisco. Reuters -
Angeles Molina carries belongings from her home flooded by the overflowing Bear Creek in Merced. AP -
Residents scramble to retrieve belongings before flood waters rise too high in Merced. AFP -
San Diego firefighters help Humberto Maciel rescue his dog from his flooded home in Merced. AFP -
Fidel Osorio rescues a dog from a flooded home in Merced. AFP -
San Diego firefighter Brian Sanford rescues a dog from a flooded home. AFP -
Water rushes down a street towards rescue crews as they search for stranded residents. AFP -
A flooded street after a rain storm on Treasure Island in San Francisco. Bloomberg -
Workers remove damaged items from a shop flooded during a rainstorm in San Francisco. Bloomberg -
A vehicle trapped by mud and debris at Jameson Lane near the 101 highway in Montecito. AP -
A mudslide covers a road after a storm in Montecito. Bloomberg -
California Governor Gavin Newsom warned residents that the storm is far from over. AP -
Waves break over the seawall in Pacifica. Bloomberg -
Cars stuck in a flooded underpass in Oakland. AP -
Huge amounts of snow dumped during storms around south Lake Tahoe. AP -
A fallen tree blocks a road after a rainstorm in Montecito. Bloomberg -
The posh Montecito Inn in Santa Barbara has flooded again. Bloomberg -
A convenience store in Santa Barbara was flooded during the storm. Bloomberg -
The San Francisco Department of Public Works removes a tree that fell on Fulton Street after a storm passed through the area. Getty / AFP -
A tree that fell on a commuter bus in San Francisco. Getty / AFP -
Two cars were sucked into a sinkhole that opened during a day of relentless rain near Los Angeles. AFP
At least 20 people were killed due to the weather.
“Right now, more than 500 employees of Fema [Federal Emergency Management Agency] are out here and other federal agencies on the ground trying to help people,” Mr Biden said.
Before Mr Biden's visit, the White House said the President had made additional disaster assistance available for the Golden State.
He had already approved the state's major disaster declaration for federal funding on January 14.
The Los Angeles Times reported last week that the storms could cost more than $1 billion in damage.
“I’m deeply thankful for the incredible support of our federal partners throughout this emergency as we’ve worked around the clock to save lives and help Californians whose lives have been turned upside down by these storms,” California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement.
The state is working to ensure the record rains help to remedy its historic years-long drought by bolstering stormwater capture and solidifying water storage in reservoirs and elsewhere.
While the rains are not an ultimate solution, the US Drought Monitor reported great improvement in California's drought-hit regions, some of which departed “exceptional” and “extreme” intensity levels over the past month.
“Extreme weather caused by climate change means stronger and more frequent storms, more intense droughts, longer wildfire seasons, all of which threatened communities across California,” Mr Biden said.
“So we have to invest in strong infrastructure to lessen the impacts of these disasters because they become cumulative, in a sense.”
