The deadly Pineapple Express storm in California has caused eight million gallons of raw sewage to spill onto the streets of Los Angeles and triggered more than 500 landslides.
Heavy rains have lashed the state and half of the rainfall normally seen in a year falls in several days.
The atmospheric river – a weather pattern formed by plumes of moisture that can produce torrential amounts of rain – has killed at least nine people, leveled dozens of homes and caused a massive sewage spill in Los Angeles County.
Health officials warned area residents to stay away from coastal waters as eight million gallons of sewage spilled into the Dominguez Canal. Raw sewage can cause a number of diseases, including hepatitis A, E. coli and dysentery.
Sanitation crews in the area have struggled to contain sewage, which has flowed down main streets and into storm drain systems.
The deadly Pineapple Express storm in California has caused eight million gallons of raw sewage to spill onto the streets of Los Angeles and triggered more than 500 landslides.
Heavy rains have lashed the state, with half of the rainfall normally seen in a year falling in several days.
The atmospheric river, a weather pattern formed by plumes of moisture that can produce torrential amounts of rain, has killed at least nine people, leveled dozens of homes and caused a massive sewage spill in Los Angeles County.
A major sewage spill occurred Monday in Rancho Dominguez, which is 10 miles north of Long Beach, sending millions of gallons of waste down the sewers.
“The problem has been an extremely unusual amount of rainwater leaking into the county sewer system, causing a greater flow than some sewer pipes can handle,” said Los County Sanitation District spokesperson Angeles, Bryan Langpap. Los Angeles Times.
Just a day later, more sewage escaped from sewers about 20 miles from downtown Los Angeles and solid waste ended up in the Dominguez Canal and Compton Creek.
Public health officials then sent out a warning for people to avoid area beaches.
About seven million Americans become ill each year from exposure to raw sewage, and seven percent of cases are fatal or serious.
Waste can cause a number of diseases as it can carry viruses, bacteria and parasites.
Water near Cabrillo Beach is being tested for bacteria that can survive in salt water for up to three days and can cause diarrhea and other health problems.
“Contact with water during a rain warning can cause illness, especially in children, the elderly and susceptible people,” public health officials said.
‘Bacteria levels can take 72 hours or more to return to normal after heavy rain.
“At all times, beach users are cautioned to avoid contact with water near creeks and storm drains.”
As of Wednesday afternoon, about 2.5 million people in Los Angeles, including Hollywood Hills and Beverly Hills, were still under a flash flood warning.
Health officials warned area residents to stay away from coastal waters as eight million gallons of sewage spilled into the Dominguez Canal.
Sanitation crews near the Dominguez Canal have struggled to contain sewage, which has flowed down main streets and into storm drain systems.
As of Wednesday afternoon, about 2.5 million people in Los Angeles, including Hollywood Hills and Beverly Hills, were still under a flash flood warning.
The storm, fueled by the second of consecutive atmospheric rivers to hit California in days, made landfall last weekend in the state’s north before moving up the coast and hovering over the south for days.
It has turned roads into rivers, causing hundreds of landslides and killing at least nine people.
The storm dumped more than a foot of rain in some areas, making it one of the wettest periods on record in Southern California.
One last rain was expected Wednesday before the system gave way to good weather across most of the state over the weekend. But even after the rain, authorities warned of the continuing threat of slope collapse.
After all the rain and snow last week, it wouldn’t take much for more water, mud and rocks to cover the fragile slopes, experts said.
There have been at least 520 landslides in Los Angeles alone.
The system dumped heavy rain and snow on the mountains in San Diego County overnight before giving way to scattered rain. Winter storm warnings and watches continued in the mountains of Southern California and north into the Sierra Nevada.
It has turned roads into rivers, causing hundreds of landslides and killing at least nine people.
The storm dumped more than a foot of rain in some areas, making it one of the wettest periods on record in Southern California.
About 430 trees fell in Los Angeles alone, the city said, and crews have struggled to deal with the storm’s aftermath.
At least 520 landslides have occurred in Los Angeles alone.
About 430 trees fell in Los Angeles alone, the city said, and crews have struggled to deal with the storm’s aftermath.
Wednesday’s power outages had slowed substantially from their peak levels, but there were still more than 71,000 customers without power, primarily in the northern and central parts of the state, according to Poweroutage.us.
People were urged to avoid touching fallen lines and stay off roads at risk of flooding and mud. During the storm, at least 50 stranded motorists in Los Angeles were rescued from fast-moving creeks, rivers, roads and storm channels, firefighters said.
Four of the nine people who died in the storm were hit by falling trees or branches, according to Brian Ferguson, spokesman for the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
Another died when the power went out and she lost her oxygen supply, another drowned in the Tijuana River near the U.S.-Mexico border and three died in car accidents, he said.
Atmospheric rivers also hit the state last year, causing at least 20 deaths.