Snowdrifts in California are rising several meters right now.
In early March 2023, powerful snow storms swept across California. Due to the huge amount of snow that fell, many people were stuck in the captivity of their homes – the snowdrifts turned out to be so large that they blocked windows and doors. The inhabitants of some villages have been cut off from civilization and at the moment many people are experiencing food problems. Because of all this, a state of emergency has been declared in 13 counties of California – snowplows are trying to clear roads, food is being delivered using helicopters, and in some areas power supply needs to be restored. To clearly show what is happening in California right now and what surprises nature can bring, we have collected a large selection of photos for you.
Snow in California in 2023
The snow situation in California is really serious. According to CNN, a place called Soda Springs received about 96 centimeters of snow in early March, and at the top of Donner Peak, the snowfall is 78 centimeters. Judging by the photographs, in some counties the snowdrifts rise even higher. Due to the fact that the snowfall was combined with strong gusts of wind, people were warned about the possibility of avalanches. Yosemite National Park has been closed to the public indefinitely. However, at the moment in California, no one cares about traveling.
Judging by the photo, in some places the height of the fallen snow reaches 3 meters.
In this picture, the snow has reached the power lines
Another comparison of snow height with human height
This is what some houses look like from the outside.
From inside the houses, because of the high snow, it is not visible what is happening outside
Residents of the Californian district of San Bernardino were locked in their homes because the snow piled on the doors and even windows. Those who managed to get out had nothing to ride on – the cars were left behind a thick layer of snow, and the roads were completely blocked. In principle, there is nowhere to go either, because grocery stores were forced to close.
According to Derek Hayes, who lives in the Cedar Glen community, some people have already begun to despair. They need not only ordinary food, but also medicines and baby food. For several days, he managed to get out of the house and walk with the help of snowshoes – he regularly visited elderly neighbors.
Many people have found the strength to pick up a shovel and get through a thick layer of snow.
Under the weight of snow, the roofs of some houses may collapse. This has already happened to several stores.
In such situations, it is better not to walk near houses, because snow falling from the roof can kill
Some people’s windows cracked due to snow
Кажется, ситуация в Калифорнии настолько серьезная, что ее можно добавить в нашу статью «5 самых сильных снегопадов в современной истории».
State of emergency in California
San Bernardino is one of the counties that has declared a state of emergency. Rescue services were tasked with clearing 800 kilometers of winding roads in mountainous areas. It is reported that by March 5, about 80% of the roads became passable – at least one-way traffic can be carried out on them.
Snowplows have been clearing California roads for days
In some places, snowdrifts are larger than the height of specialized machines
It is dangerous to drive in such conditions on the roads, especially at night.
According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office, about 150 people were rescued from particularly affected neighborhoods, while 22 people were sent to shelters. Despite all the efforts of rescuers, many Californians still remain in a difficult situation. This is because even with the main roads cleared, the streets still remain under a pile of snow. To get to the store, some people have to overcome whole kilometers through snowdrifts. Services cannot clear the streets, because there are cars under the snowdrifts – during the work they can be badly damaged.
During the first snowstorms, so much snow fell on the roads that firefighters, ambulances and rescue vehicles could not get into these communities, said Eric Sherwin, a San Bernardino County Fire Department official.
The image clearly shows what is happening outside the houses and inside
Would you be able to get outside in that case?
Nobody wants to be outside during a heavy snowfall
Some people are unable to return to their homes once they have decided to leave their home. For example, a resident, Iliana Vargas, went out to buy groceries and was unable to return to her home due to blocked roads. According to her, because of this, she cannot continue to work, and also fears that the roof of her house will collapse under the weight of the fallen snow – if she did not go out or could return, this could have been prevented.
California woman and her daughter wait for food to arrive
In this difficult situation, especially firefighters have a lot of work – there are reports of several explosions associated with a natural gas leak. These cases are complicated by the fact that firefighters are unable to reach some of the houses.
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In general, the situation in California is very serious, and some people are having a very hard time. According to Fox Weather, in the near future in the mountainous regions of California, snow showers may pass – the thickness of the snow can reach tens of centimeters, and the rain will be able to accelerate its melting, which raises the risk of flooding. In which case, we will definitely tell you about it, so subscribe to our Zen channel so as not to miss anything important.
