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A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 16 January 2023
Storm-battered California gets more wind, rain and snow

By JOHN ANTCZAK could have been prevent-
Associated Press ed if drivers had heeded
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Storm- road closure signs, said
battered California got Sean Duryee, acting com-
more wind, rain and snow missioner of the California
on Saturday, raising flood- Highway Patrol, during a
ing concerns, causing briefing by state and fed-
power outages and mak- eral officials on Friday.
ing travel dangerous. In Santa Barbara County,
Bands of rain with gusty where a massive debris flow
winds started in the north through the community of
and spread south, with Montecito killed 23 people
more storms expected to on Jan. 9, 2018, residents
follow into early next week, were told that new evacu-
the National Weather Ser- ations were not expected
vice said. but that they should be
More than 68,000 utility cus- prepared.
tomers were without elec- Montecito and adjacent
tricity Saturday morning, areas were most recently
a number that was cut by ordered evacuated last
more than half during the Monday, the fifth anni-
afternoon, according to versary of what is locally
poweroutage.us. A home sits in floodwaters in Salinas, Calif. on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023. remembered as the “1/9
Flood warnings were issued Associated Press Debris Flow.” But the com-
for the region north of San the east, flood warnings you’re right,” Newsom said. A backcountry avalanche munity perched on foothills
Francisco Bay, including were in effect for Merced President Joe Biden de- warning was issued for the of coastal mountains es-
Marin, Napa, Sonoma and County in the agricultural clared a major disaster central Sierra, including the caped serious harm.
Mendocino counties. Central Valley, where Gov. in the state and ordered greater Lake Tahoe area. In a visit to Montecito on
To the south, warnings were Gavin Newsom visited to federal aid to supplement A series of atmospheric Friday, Newsom asked resi-
posted for parts of counties take stock of storm prob- local recovery efforts in af- rivers has dumped rain dents to exercise caution,
including San Mateo and lems. fected areas. and snow on California and to heed warnings from
Santa Cruz, where the tiny “The reality is that this is just Slick roads, snow and white- since late December, cut- public safety officials.
community of Felton Grove the eighth of what we an- out conditions plagued ting power to thousands, “I know how fatigued you
along the San Lorenzo River ticipate will be nine atmo- highways through the Sier- swamping roads, unleash- all are,” Newsom said. “Just
was ordered evacuated. spheric rivers —- we’re not ra Nevada. ing debris flows, and trig- maintain a little more vigi-
An evacuation order also done,” Newsom said at a The UC Berkeley Central gering landslides. lance over the course of
was issued for residents of briefing with local leaders Sierra Snow Lab tweeted At least 19 storm-related the next weekend.”
the Wilton area in semirural where he urged people to Saturday morning that it deaths have occurred, Dry days are in next week’s
southeastern Sacramento be vigilant about safety for received 21.3 inches (54 and a 5-year-old boy re- forecast for California start-
County. Authorities cited the next 24 to 48 hours. centimeters) of snow in 24 mained missing after being ing on Tuesday.
the threat of flooding from “This is happening all across hours and that its snow- swept out of his mother’s “Question will then become
the Cosumnes River. California but I want to say pack of about 10 feet (3 car by flood waters in San do we stay dry through the
The swollen Salinas River ... you guys are dispropor- meters) was expected to Luis Obispo County. end of month?” the San
swamped farmland in tionately taking the brunt of grow several more feet by Half of the deaths have in- Francisco Bay Area weath-
Monterey County, and to it, and if you feel that way Monday. volved motorists, and some er office wrote.q

New Jersey home explodes with

firefighters inside; 5 injured

2:15 a.m. Saturday after a for burns and released, of- Officials said the blast
police sergeant reported ficials said. Three others caused part of the house to
smelling smoke coming were treated for minor in- collapse and a significant
from the home. juries at the scene. Police fire resulted. Fire crews from
Officials said members of also evacuated the lone several departments got
the department entered resident who told authori- the flames under control by
the home to try to find the ties he didn’t know how the 3:30 a.m. Saturday. A state
source of the smoke and blaze started. “I thought fire marshal and Public Ser-
were using a thermal im- we were going to have vice Electric & Gas are in-
aging camera when “the six fatalities, I really did,” vestigating. Olivia Alvarez,
Aftermath of a house explosion on Ramapo Avenue in Pompton home literally exploded, in- Pompton Lakes Fire Chief 17, told NorthJersey.com
Lakes, N.J., on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023. juring some members man- Jason Ekkers told NorthJer- that she was looking out the
Associated Press ning the hose line at the sey.com. “They managed window from her second-
POMPTON LAKES, N.J. (AP) for treatment of burns, au- back of the home and par- to climb out of the base- floor bedroom across the
— A New Jersey house thorities said. tially trapping others in the ment with compromised street when she saw smoke
where smoke had been The Pompton Lakes Vol- basement.” stairs. They all helped each coming from the rear of the
reported exploded with unteer Fire Department in All were able to get out on other out, they came out home and “thought it was
volunteer firefighters inside, Passaic County said on its their own. Two were sent one at a time and we were a car or something.” A short
injuring five of them and Facebook page that crews to St. Barnabus Hospital at the back door, just feed- time later, she “just saw it all
sending two to a hospital were dispatched at about where they were treated ing them out.” explode,” she said. q