California’s deadly storm season turned even deadlier Friday as the first of two atmospheric river storms descended on the state, prompting widespread evacuation orders as it flooded creeks and rivers and dropped warm, heavy rain atop the state’s near-record snowpack.
Nine back-to-back atmospheric river storms in January contributed to nearly two dozen deaths, including people killed by falling trees and surging stormwater. Heavy snowpack in recent weeks contributed to at least 13 deaths in the San Bernardino Mountains, where many residents were trapped for days behind walls of snow.
A road washed out Friday on North Main Street in Santa Cruz.
(Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
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Lizbeth Hernandez is rescued from Casserly Creek on Friday after flood waters carried her truck off of Paulsen Road in Watsonville, Calif.
(Shmuel Thaler/ The Santa Cruz Sentinel )
Fire line medic Mike Age, right, greets Emma Cimino and her pup Friday after delivering prescription medicine to the snowed-in Lake Arrowhead, Calif., resident.
(Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
Fire line medic Aaron Thomas climbs over a steep snow berm Friday while delivering medicine in Lake Arrowhead, Calif.
(Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
Volunteers Ward Schinke, left, and Annabelle Moore, 9, work to sort items Friday at a pop-up pantry at Crest Forest Fire Station No. 28 in Crestline, Calif.
(Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
Kadyn Wheat, 14, of Valley of Enchantment shovels a mound of snow on Tuesday to free the family car, which is entombed after successive snow storms paralyzed the region.
(Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
The collapsed roof of Goodwin’s Market in the San Bernardino Mountain community of Crestline.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
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The community of Crestline continues to dig out after successive storms paralyzed the region.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Volunteer Adam Perruzzi carries bags of groceries at a food bank Tuesday in the San Bernardino mountain community of Crestline.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Prado Conservation Camp inmates help to dig out residents in Crestline.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Deanna Beaudoin leans on Don Kendrick while taking a break from shoveling out their car in Crestline.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Crestline Road is down to one lane as piles of snow stack up on both sides of the road off Highway 138 in Crestline.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Street signs are barely visible above tall piles of snow off Highway 138 in Crestline.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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A roof has collapsed in Crestline.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Standing waist-deep in snow, Mark Thomas shovels a path from his house to the street in Crestline.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Fire crews document the damage of a house with a collapsed roof in Crestline.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Crews remove piles of snow in Crestline.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Snow-covered mountains provide a backdrop for the downtown L.A. skyline.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Cal Fire Fenner Canyon fire crew inmates dig snow from around a residence at a Big Bear Lake trailer park on Friday.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
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Big Bear Lake streets are plowed while the area is still choked with snow on Friday.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Many street signs are still nearly covered in snow on Friday as the Big Bear Valley digs out of successive snowstorms that lasted a week and blanketed San Bernardino Mountain communities.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Men shovel snow off the roof of a Big Bear Village gift shop following successive storms that blanketed Southern California for a week.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
A lone snowboarder on an empty slope Friday at Snow Summit where there were no lines as San Bernardino Mountain communities still prohibit visitors.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
The Big Bear Valley is covered with snow following successive storms that blanketed San Bernardino Mountain communities on Thursday.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
A sailboat cruises off the coast of Corona del Mar with snow-covered mountains in the background.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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A snowplow belches black smoke as the driver clears a path for vehicles past homes inundated with snow in Sugarloaf.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
A snow-covered dock at a marina on a frozen Big Bear Lake, where successive storms have pummeled the resort town in the San Bernardino Mountains.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Many streets in Sugarloaf are deserted as snow trapped residents in their homes and kept visitors away from resort areas.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Homes and vehicles are inundated with snow in the latest storm to pound resort areas in the San Bernardino Mountains.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Snow in the mountain town of Sugarloaf piles up outside a house.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Carved wooden bears are covered in snow in Big Bear.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
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Big Bear residents are worrying about food supplies after snow nearly paralyzed the mountain town.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Amblerlee Barden shovels snow from her driveway after successive storms dumped several feet of snow in Big Bear.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
As roads to the mountain resorts were closed, chairlifts were mostly empty at Big Bear Mountain Resort.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Icicles hang at a firewood lot as resort areas in the San Bernardino Mountains dig out from successive storms.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Karen Brianza walks her dog on an icy street in Big Bear.
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