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Winter storm batters California Winter storm batters western US
(about 8 hours later)
A winter storm is sweeping California, battering the south with heavy rain and high winds, and dumping snow on the Sierra Nevada mountains. A winter storm is sweeping the western states of the US, bringing heavy rain, snow and high winds.
At least 440,000 people were left without power from central Oregon to Washington State, roads were closed and flights cancelled at some airports. Avalanche warnings were posted in the Sierra Nevada mountains after up to 5ft (1.5m) of snow fell. There were fresh flood warnings in southern California.
Areas denuded by October's forest fires are braced for flooding and mudslides. In Nevada, a levee burst after heavy rain, flooding hundreds of homes.
Emergency services have asked at least 3,000 people living in Orange County canyons to leave home as a precaution. At least 440,000 people are without power from California to Oregon and Washington, roads have been closed and flights cancelled at some airports.
Flash flood warnings were issued for most of Los Angeles County and home-owners have been protecting their property with sandbags and hay bales, the Associated Press reports. Weather forecasters said more rain and snow were predicted into early Monday, but that the weather system was weakening as it moved inland.
"There's a little bit of a let-up right now in the rain but there's still a huge band of rain that's going to come in today," Ted MacKechnie, a US National Weather Service forecaster, said on Saturday morning. Trees uprooted
There were no immediate reports of deaths or serious injuries. One death has been reported as a result of the weather so far - a woman killed by a falling tree in Oregon, Associated Press reported.
Blizzards In Lyon County, Nevada, about 3,000 people were stranded after a levee, or dyke, along a canal broke early on Saturday, authorities said, and in parts of the town of Fernley water was up to 3ft deep.
In the Sierra Nevada, the range of mountains which runs up the centre of California, snow forced the closure of Interstate 80, the main east-west link between northern California and Nevada. In central and northern California, winds gusted up to 100mph (160km/h), overturning lorries and uprooting trees.
Up to 44 in (112cm) fell overnight in some parts of the range, and depths of up to 10 ft (3m) are forecast at higher points by Sunday. San Francisco was particularly badly hit, and a local state of emergency was declared, though there were no reports of casualties.
Up to 2 ft (0.6m) may fall on the popular tourist spot of Lake Tahoe. Flights in the San Francisco area have been grounded and storm winds meant large lorries were banned from the Golden Gate Bridge.
Flights in the San Francisco area were grounded and storm winds meant large lorries were banned from the Golden Gate Bridge. The former prison on Alcatraz Island in the bay was closed to tourists.
The tourist attraction of Alcatraz Island out in the bay was closed to tourists. Warnings 'ignored'
Forecasters believe the blizzard conditions and heavy snow will begin to subside by Sunday as the cold front moves east. Further south in California, areas denuded by October's forest fires were bracing for flooding and mudslides.
Some have enjoyed the wild weather brought by the storm
Emergency services have asked at least 3,000 people living in Orange County canyons to leave home as a precaution - though reportedly few have obeyed the instruction.
The Interstate 80 - the main east-west link between northern California and Nevada - has now reopened after snow in the Sierra Nevada forced its closure.
Although blizzard warnings have been downgraded, authorities are urging all non-essential travel be postponed.
In California, an emergency operations centre is co-ordinating the storm response, and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said he had spoken to the US Home Security Secretary, Michael Chertoff, by phone.