Massive storms California overturned Friday, killing at least two people. In Northern California, drone surveys show the extent of the damage on Highway 1 near Big Sur, where a landslide by a atmospheric river moisture has taken out a portion of the historic driveway.
California’s transportation department, Caltrans, has posted drone footage of the washout on Highway 1 in Rat Creek, about 25 miles south of Big Sur.
The highway has been closed along the Big Sur coastline since Tuesday, and evacuation warnings have been issued in parts of Monterey County and in parts downstream of the country that were hit by wildfires last year.
The storms were fueled by an atmospheric river weather system that caused flooding as well as mud and debris, forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents, CBS San Francisco reports.
Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday issued an emergency proclamation for the provinces of Monterey and San Luis Obispo.
The storm dumped 10 feet of snow in the Sierra Mountains. A skier was found dead near a chairlift and crossroads at Mammoth Mountain on Thursday. The ski resort reported on Instagram that a slide was caused in a closed area of the mountain.
According to The Associated Press, another death near the Mexican border, where seven people were trapped in a flooded storm drain, was reported.
Before the storm, California experienced a period of severe to extreme drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
In Modesto, for example, only 1.73 inches of rain fell between October 1 and January 24, according to the National Weather Service in Sacramento. On January 28, it rose to 5.17 inches of rain. The normal total for the period is 6.42 inches of rain.