​​In the U.S. state of California, Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency​

San Francisco, January 5 (RHC)-- In the U.S. state of California, Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency and ordered evacuations as a cyclone slammed into the San Francisco Bay Area Wednesday night with hurricane-force winds and torrential downpours. 

California’s second major storm this week is expected to wreak havoc across the state, including flooding, landslides and dangerous winds.  A young child was killed in Sonoma County when a tree fell on the family home.  Over 180,000 customers had lost power by early this morning. 

California has been experiencing a series of extreme weather events known as “atmospheric rivers” — which have been described as “rivers in the sky” — unleashing unrelenting storms; scientists say climate change will continue to increase the intensity of these storms.