“The winter storms caused the deaths of 14 Californians, that is, more than the wildfires of the last two years,” says a note from the office of the state governor, Gavin Newsom. “Several days of bad weather await us”, adds the note, which also warns the population to be “very vigilant”.
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Heavy rains, storms and very strong winds were forecast for this region this Tuesday (10), according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
The emergency authorities of Montecito, 90 minutes from Los Angeles, urged people to leave the area.
“LEAVE NOW! This is a rapidly evolving situation. Please pay close attention to emergency alerts,” said a fire department page.
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This city is especially vulnerable to landslides as it lies at the foot of a mountainous area that was destroyed by fire five years ago.
The former presenter Ellen DeGeneres published a video on Twitter showing a choppy river with muddy water. “This is crazy,” he said.
It was not clear how many of the region's residents, among them, Larry David, Gwyneth Paltrow, Katy Perry e Rob Lowe, would have responded to the evacuation request.
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Celebrities on alert
The actress Jennifer Aniston and the television presenter Oprah Winfrey, among others, have mansions valued at millions of dollars in Montecito.
Spokespeople for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not respond to requests for statements.
The expectation was that the region would receive up to 200 millimeters of rain in 24 hours.
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Climate change
Although it is difficult to establish a direct relationship between the storms and climate change, scientists say that the global warming increases the frequency and intensity of extreme meteorological phenomena.
(To AFP)
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