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Massive storms struck California on Friday, killing at least two. In northern California, drone footage captured the extent of damage on Highway 1 near Big Sur, where a landslide caused by a atmospheric river of moisture washed away part of the historic pavement.
The California Department of Transportation, Caltrans, has released drone footage of the wash down on Highway 1 in Rat Creek, about 15 miles south of Big Sur.
The highway had been closed along the Big Sur coast since Tuesday and evacuation warnings were issued in parts of Monterey County and in areas downstream of land marked by wildfires last year.
The storms were fueled by an atmospheric weather system that caused flooding as well as mudslides and debris, forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents, CBS San Francisco reported.
Governor Gavin Newsom issued an emergency proclamation for Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties on Friday.
The storm threw 10 feet of snow into the Sierra Mountains. A skier was found dead near a chairlift and cross trails at Mammoth Mountain on Thursday. The ski resort posted on Instagram that a slide had tripped in an enclosed area of the mountain.
Another fatality was reported near the Mexican border, where seven people were trapped in a flooded storm sewer, according to the Associated Press.
Before the storm, California had experienced a period of severe to extreme drought, according to the US Drought Monitor.
In Modesto, for example, there was only 1.73 inches of rain between October 1 and January 24, according to the Sacramento National Weather Service. By January 28, it had dropped to 5.17 inches of rain. The normal total for this period is 6.42 inches of rain.
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