AT least 16 people have been evacuated from their homes after two mudslides hit the Hollywood Hills.
California has been pummeled by wild weather over the weekend, which has left thousands without power.
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Los Angeles fire crews revealed that mudslides damaged two homes on Sunday while the other seven are at risk.
Gas leaks have also been reported in the area, per the CBS affiliate KCAL.
Locals have said the impact has caused a fridge to be swept onto the street.
“Couple friends being evacuated from their homes tonight due to mudslides,” actor Dane Cook posted on X, formerly Twitter.
“Be careful Los Angeles! Unreal. High-risk areas.”
Flash flooding and landslides in the Hollywood Hills have created a life-threatening and particularly dangerous situation, per the US National Weather Service.
The flash floods are expected to continue into Monday.
Santa Barbara cops had warned the storm was going to be one of the largest and most significant to hit the country.
“Our goal is to get through it without any fatalities or any serious injuries,” Sheriff Bill Brown said.
Meanwhile, officials in Malibu laid a plastic sheet across a grassy bank and put sandbags at the foot of it to prevent any mudslides.
Two Pineapple Express winter storms bash the US West Coast with 27 times more water than the entire Mississippi River
A store manager in Santa Barbara revealed that sandbags had sold out by Saturday.
It meant locals resorted to buying bags of soil and fertilizer to act as a barrier against the impact of the storm.
DRAMATIC RESCUES
Freeways were flooded while a huge tree had toppled onto a home in San Jose.
Dozens of people have had to be rescued over the weekend.
At least 19 people were rescued off Long Beach after their boat’s mast snapped as the high winds hit, per the Los Angeles Times.
Officials revealed that 11 people had clambered onto the rocks.
Only one person was injured but their wounds were not life-threatening.
Meteorologists had warned about the risks of life-threatening floods.
California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a state of emergency across eight counties.
Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Southern California were placed under a rare level four warning for excessive rainfall.
Forecasters warned that a month’s worth of rain could fall in Los Angeles.
Parts of the state could see more than 10 inches of rain within 24 hours.
The mountainous regions of the state could be pummeled with up to 12 inches.
TRAVEL CHAOS
Locals in Santa Barbara, San Jose, Los Angeles, and Ventura County were told to evacuate their homes.
Winds of 102mph were reported in parts of Marin County on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service Bay Area.
Meteorologists have warned of hazardous winds that could hit the Bay Area on Monday.
The warning has been expanded and could impact residents in San Francisco, San Jose, Monterey, and the Big Sur.
The strongest winds are set to hit mountainous areas and along the West Coast.
Hundreds of flights at San Francisco airport were either delayed or canceled on Sunday because of the storm.
More than 500 flights at Los Angeles airport were delayed on Sunday, per FlightAware.
San Diego and Sacramento were also hit by more than a hundred flight delays.
Meanwhile, dozens of flights were delayed at both Oakland and San Jose airports.
Drivers were urged to stay off the roads and avoid travel between Sunday and Tuesday.
Dramatic aerial pictures show farmland completely submerged while volleyball courts were flooded.
More than 600,000 Californians remain without power, according to PowerOutage US.
The travel chaos comes after forecasters warned that two Pineapple Express storms would hit the West Coast.
An atmospheric river swept into the state on Saturday and the storm is expected to tail off by Wednesday.
“Pineapple Express events are known to be the largest transporters of fresh water on earth,” per forecasters at the ABC affiliate KMIZ-TV.
“They can carry over 27 times more water than the Mississippi River.”
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