Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency across Southern California as a brutal winter storm brings record-breaking levels of rain and snowfall.
Eight counties in the southern part of the state, including Los Angeles, are now affected by the emergency order.
In addition to Los Angeles, the declaration impacts other counties including Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura.
The state of emergency also facilitates the allocation of resources and the deployment of the California National Guard to assist with potential emergencies.
Newsom has reportedly not ruled out the possibility of expanding the emergency declaration to other regions of the state that may be impacted by the storm.
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Los Angeles issued flood watches for all areas within the metropolitan region, emphasizing the seriousness of the weather event.
So far more than half a million California residents have experienced power outages due to the severe weather conditions, adding to the challenges posed by the storm.
The conditions include heavy rains, strong winds, and snowfall in some areas.
Nineteen individuals had to be rescued off the coast of Long Beach, California, as the mast of their