Heavy rains in California have killed 16 people

Sixteen people have died in the US state of California due to heavy rains this Wednesday, while authorities have ordered the evacuation of numerous regions, including the city of Montecito, where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s residence.

Montecito area where Harry and Meghan live evacuated due to flooding and mudflows

Much of California has been hit by a severe winter storm, during which torrential rains have already caused flooding, road closures, downed trees and power outages in tens of thousands of homes.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said in a statement that successive hurricanes are sweeping the state of California and have already killed 16 people, “more than wildfires have in the past two years.”

“There are still a few more days of bad winter weather ahead,” the governor said, asking citizens to be “hyper vigilant.”

In Paso Robles, a small town halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, A five-year-old boy was swept away by the water on Monday and is still missing., according to a statement from the sheriff. The search for a child who went missing after the car in which he was with his mother got stuck in the water had to be suspended due to bad weather.

In downtown Bakersfield, two drivers have died after a tree fell on the road, according to the Los Angeles Times.

About 150,000 homes were left without power on Wednesday night.

A new storm with forecasts of up to 18 centimeters of rain is expected to hit California this Wednesday night, according to the weather services (NWS).

The NWS reports that California is currently experiencing a “relentless onslaught of atmospheric rivers” the likes of which have not been seen since 2005, causing staggering amounts of rain and snow.

Authorities have ordered the evacuation of Montecito, a coastal town north of Los Angeles where several celebrities own palatial mansions. as actress Jennifer Aniston and TV presenter Oprah Winfrey.