A massive atmospheric river known as a “Pineapple Express” was barrelling towards the US West Coast on Wednesday, with torrential rain and powerful winds raising the threat of heavy flooding and landslides.
The “Pineapple Express” - so called because it originates near Hawai’i in the tropical Pacific - is the first of two systems to hit the region in the coming days.
Excessive rainfall is expected from the southern Oregon coast down through central California on Wednesday, the National Weather Service reported. Up to three inches of rain is expected in the Sacramento Valley.
Heavy snow is also expected at higher elevations, and local authorities warned that scattered flash flooding and landslides due to oversaturated soils were possible.
The Pacific Northwest have already seen severe impacts this weekend. On Sunday, a mudslide in Mason County, Washington blocked a major roadway while a separate slip in Astoria, Oregon, blocked a street and damaged seven homes on Saturday, according to local outlet KGW8.
Bay Area forecasters are predicting up to eight inches of rain in some areas of northern California in the coming days.
“Expect issues if traveling on Wednesday, especially in the North Bay and the coastal ranges,” officials with the NWS for the Bay Area wrote on X.
By Thursday, Los Angeles is expected to receive up to four inches of rain.
The Pineapple Express will hit California just over a week after southern parts of the state saw widespread flooding from torrential rain. More than 4 inches fell within 24 hours, leading to dangerous flooding throughout San Diego.
Hundreds of San Diego residents required rescue as they became trapped by floodwaters, and the San Diego Fire Department rescued 24 people along the San Diego and Tijuana rivers, the Associated Press reported.
The heavy rain also caused mudslides throughout southern California, leading to concerns of repeats this week as the Pineapple Express hits the region.
Earlier this month, severe winter storms killed at least 89 people across the country as many northern states suffered brutally cold temperatures, heavy snow and ice.
In particular, the Pacific Northwest was hit by a devastating ice storm. In Portland, Oregon, where a quarter-inch of ice coated roads, sidewalks and trees, three people died after a powerline fell on top of their vehicle.
The victims included a 21-year-old pregnant woman, her fiteen-year-old brother and her boyfriend. They were attempting to leave the car and get a nine-month-old infant who was with them to safety. However, ice caused all three of them to slip and hit the live wire. The child survived thanks to Majiah Washington, a neighbor who witnessed the incident and ultimately saved the nine-month-old.