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(Ventura) – Huge waves crashed on the American West Coast, sweeping away residents and inundating a hotel, while authorities warned Friday of the danger of drowning.
Hurricanes are expected to reach between seven and nine meters in height in many areas overlooking the Pacific Ocean, in the states of California and Oregon, due to a storm that ends a year that witnessed severe weather events.
North of Los Angeles, Ventura County was hit Thursday and reported several infections.
Viral videos show a giant wave crashing into a seawall in the town of Ventura, knocking down pedestrians, as other residents run for cover.
“Eight people were taken to the hospital as a result,” the Ventura Fire Department said on social media.
According to the Los Angeles TimesA hotel was flooded and windows exploded under the force of the waves.
The US Weather Service (NWS) warned of potential “extremely dangerous conditions,” with “strong waves and currents that pose a significant risk of drowning and damage to coastal infrastructure such as piers or jetties.”
The risk of flooding continues until Saturday, according to the same source.
Meteorologists do not expect serious damage, but warn that the sea could be very dangerous.
“There is an increased risk of drowning. Currents can carry swimmers and surfers out to sea,” says the NWS. “Large breaking waves can cause injuries, sweep anyone onto beaches and rocks, and capsize small boats near shore.”
The storm is also bringing heavy rain, and the Sierra Nevada mountain range could see snowfall over the weekend.
These severe weather conditions are the latest weather episode in a year marked by extreme events in the American West, which fell victim to a severe heat wave in July.
This followed an abnormally wet winter, in which numerous storms, sometimes very close together, delivered near-record rainfall in certain areas, leading to damage and flooding. Reservoirs filled dry and rivers overflowed.
Global warming caused by anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions is increasing the magnitude and/or frequency of extreme weather events.
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