Residents of a Northern California agricultural community were forced to evacuate after the Pajaro River's levee was breached by flooding from an atmospheric river. This storm is the second to hit the state in the past few days, bringing heavy rain, mountain snow, and the threat of more flooding to northern and central California. Emergency personnel are working to secure the area and protect residents from the flooding, with 15 million people under flood watches in California and Nevada.
Posts tagged as “Northern California”
California is bracing for flooding as a new storm system brings heavy rain and the melting of the huge snowpack built up in the mountains. The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for the entire Bay Area, and the California Office of Emergency Services is urging residents to be prepared for potential flooding.
66-year-old Chunli Zhao has been charged with seven counts of murder and one count of attempted murder in connection with a shooting spree in Northern California that left seven people dead and one injured. He entered a plea of not guilty at his arraignment and is being held without bail. The motive for the shootings is still under investigation, and if convicted, Zhao faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) will face trial for manslaughter in Shasta County, California, after a judge ruled Wednesday that there was enough evidence to proceed with 11 felony and misdemeanor charges stemming from a 2020 wildfire that killed four people and burned 88 square miles of land. Prosecutors argued that PG&E’s equipment sparked the fire due to the company's failure to maintain power lines and clear vegetation near its equipment. The trial is expected to begin in the coming months, and PG&E has not yet commented on the judge’s ruling.
Dharmesh Patel, a 41-year-old motorist, has been charged with three counts of attempted murder after driving his Tesla off a 250-foot cliff in Northern California, nearly killing himself, his wife and two children. The incident occurred on January 2nd and has been described as “miraculous” as all four passengers survived the plunge. Patel is expected to appear before a San Mateo County judge later in the afternoon in connection with the crash.
Prosecutors in Northern California have charged 66-year-old Chunli Zhao with seven counts of murder and one count of attempted murder for the shooting of eight farm workers in Half Moon Bay. This is the highest number of people murdered at one time in San Mateo County's history, and the investigation is ongoing with no motive determined yet. Zhao is currently in custody and is expected to appear in court on Thursday.
Elon Musk took the witness stand for a second day on Monday in a trial over a controversial tweet from 2018, in which he claimed he had "funding secured" to take Tesla private for $420 a share. Musk is attempting to explain the thought process behind the tweet and push back at the idea that it was partly a joke. U.S. Judge Edward Chen has already ruled the tweet was false and reckless, and Musk is now trying to convince the jury that he did not know the tweet was false when he sent it.
California is expecting more stormy weather over the weekend and into next week, with heavy lower elevation rain, significant mountain snow, and strong winds. Governor Newsom has declared a state of emergency in several counties and FEMA has authorized the use of federal funds to help with recovery efforts. Residents are advised to take precautions to protect themselves and their property, such as stocking up on supplies and preparing for power outages.