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Photos: See how the atmospheric river is battering California

San Jose: Search and rescue workers check a car trapped in flooding after heavy rain caused the Guadalupe River to overflow its banks, Sunday.
Noah Berger
/
AP
San Jose: Search and rescue workers check a car trapped in flooding after heavy rain caused the Guadalupe River to overflow its banks, Sunday.

A second atmospheric river battered California, flooding roadways and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands and prompting a rare warning for hurricane-force winds as the state braced for what could be days of heavy rains.

Forecasters now say 8 to 15 inches of rain could fall in the mountains and foothills of Southern California. Four to 8 inches are likely in lower-lying areas — prompting flash flood warning and concerns about possible debris flows.

Officials in Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties have given evacuation orders to a handful of high-risk neighborhoods in canyons and near rivers or streams.

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The National Weather Service is urging people to stay home and off of roads through at least Monday morning. Though the rain could continue through Tuesday.

Take a look at conditions around the state.

Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Santa Barbara: A boat moored offshore is tossed by rough waters as the second and more powerful of two atmospheric river storms arrives Sunday. The West Coast was getting drenched on Feb. 1 as the first of two powerful storms moved in, part of a "Pineapple Express" weather pattern that was washing out roads and sparking flood warnings.
David McNew
/
AFP via Getty Images
Santa Barbara: A boat moored offshore is tossed by rough waters as the second and more powerful of two atmospheric river storms arrives Sunday. The West Coast was getting drenched on Feb. 1 as the first of two powerful storms moved in, part of a "Pineapple Express" weather pattern that was washing out roads and sparking flood warnings.
Pebble Beach: Fallen trees and power lines block a road Sunday.
Ryan Sun
/
AP
Pebble Beach: Fallen trees and power lines block a road Sunday.
Alameda: Waves crash over a breakwater with the San Francisco skyline in the background on Sunday. High winds and heavy rainfall are impacting the region.
Noah Berger
/
AP
Alameda: Waves crash over a breakwater with the San Francisco skyline in the background on Sunday. High winds and heavy rainfall are impacting the region.
Los Angeles: A man walks his dog on the edge of the Los Angeles River, carrying stormwater downstream Sunday.
Damian Dovarganes
/
AP
Los Angeles: A man walks his dog on the edge of the Los Angeles River, carrying stormwater downstream Sunday.
San Jose: Search and rescue workers evacuate men from a homeless encampment that became surrounded by floodwater from the Guadalupe River on Sunday.
Noah Berger
/
AP
San Jose: Search and rescue workers evacuate men from a homeless encampment that became surrounded by floodwater from the Guadalupe River on Sunday.
San Jose: Workers clear a tree that fell onto a home during heavy wind and rain on Sunday.
Noah Berger
/
AP
San Jose: Workers clear a tree that fell onto a home during heavy wind and rain on Sunday.
Santa Barbara: A person walks along a flooded street as a powerful long-duration atmospheric river storm, the second in less than a week, impacts California on Sunday.
Mario Tama
/
Getty Images
Santa Barbara: A person walks along a flooded street as a powerful long-duration atmospheric river storm, the second in less than a week, impacts California on Sunday.