California Faces Another Severe Storm—And Possibly More Flooding—After 19 Killed

Forecasters expect the rain could begin on Friday and continue through the weekend, as an atmospheric river makes its way toward northern California, with another storm not far behind that could release more rain in the already water-logged state over the next week.

In a statement on Thursday, the National Weather Service warned the “relentless parade of cyclones” will cause “excessive rainfall” in parts of northern California, while AccuWeather meteorologists warned it will “renew the risks” of more flooding and landslides.

It’s the latest in a series of storms that have left at least 19 people dead—more deaths than from the last two years of deadly wildfires combined, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Officials in Sonoma County confirmed on Wednesday a resident died when their car was submerged in floodwater, while El Dorado County officials confirmed a man was killed in the American River, which flooded in northern California.

Speaking to CNN on Wednesday, Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis called the situation a “very significant emergency,” saying the six storms the state has experienced in just two weeks represent “the kind of weather you would get in a year.”

Nearly 30,000 homes and businesses are without power across the state Thursday morning, according to poweroutage.us, down significantly from the more than 180,000 without power last week after another atmospheric river pelted northern California, killing two people and causing two piers to collapse amid heavy rain, high surf and wind gusts as high as 100 mph.

Coastal communities throughout the majority of the state are under high surf advisories, while areas around the cities of Merced, Salinas and Santa Rosa are under flood warnings, according to the National Weather Service.