At least three people have been killed by falling trees as a powerful storm drenches California, bringing flooding, mudslides and power outages.
Fire officials have responded to over 130 flooding incidents and conducted several rescues since the deluge began.
More than half a million homes in the Sunshine State have been struck by power outages, and one man has reportedly died in Sacramento Valley after he was crushed by a toppled tree.
At least 566,502 households in the state suffered power cuts as of Monday morning, according to national tracker poweroutage.us.
Forecasters say heavy rain with life-threatening flash flooding will continue into Tuesday.
The record-breaking rainfall has led the governor to declare a state of emergency in eight counties.
The storm is due to an “atmospheric river” effect, a phenomenon in which water evaporates into the air and is carried along by the wind, forming long currents that flow in the sky as rivers flow on land.
This slow-moving storm is the second atmospheric river to hit California in two weeks.
Officials have issued evacuation orders for some hilly neighbourhoods in the south of the state, including in Los Angeles, where city leaders declared an emergency.
Mudslides, flooding and gale-force winds are battering much of California as a severe storm system continues to deluge the West Coast for a second day.
In Los Angeles, more than 120 mudslides were reported and about 25 structures were damaged, Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said on Monday.
Celebrity hotspots including Montecito, where Harry and Meghan live, and Malibu, where Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga and Halle Berry reside, are among the regions under flash flood warnings.
Downpours of up to 1 inch every hour could impact Los Angeles for a least 24 hours over Monday, forecasters have warned.
The storm is the second severe weather system to batter California over the past week, and it arrived just as Los Angeles welcomed celebrities for the Grammy Awards on Sunday night.
Scientists say the broader climate crisis and El Niño are increasing the rainfall and destructive power of this storm.
