California storms updates: Woman found dead in submerged in car

A series of deadly and destructive storms has led to flooding and power outages.

ByMorgan Winsor, Nadine El-Bawab, and Ivan Pereira

Last Updated: January 11, 2023, 8:10 PM EST

Dangerously stormy weather continues to wallop California, drenching the drought-stricken state with a sudden and near constant onslaught of rain and snow, leaving a trail of destruction.

The National Weather Service has warned of a "relentless parade of atmospheric rivers" in the West Coast over the coming week. President Joe Biden has issued an emergency declaration for California, while local authorities have ordered thousands of residents to evacuate.

Latest headlines:

Jan 11, 2023, 9:58 AM EST
Dramatic images show devastation in California
Jan 11, 2023, 9:48 AM EST
West Coast to get over half a foot of rain
Jan 11, 2023, 7:49 AM EST
The latest forecast for the West Coast
Jan 10, 2023, 6:23 PM EST
At least 17 people dead due to weather, over 142,000 customers without power

Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.

Jan 10, 2023, 6:23 PM EST

At least 17 people dead due to weather, over 142,000 customers without power

At least 17 people are confirmed dead in California because of the powerful storms slamming the state, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom.

More than 44,000 people are under evacuation orders, Newsom said at a press conference on Tuesday.

Over 142,000 customers are without power throughout the state.

"We are not out of the woods,” Newsom said.

The storms are expected to impact the state until Jan. 18, according to the governor.

Jan 10, 2023, 2:59 PM EST

Search continues for 5-year-old swept away by floodwaters

Rescuers have resumed the search for a missing 5-year-old boy who was swept away by floodwaters near San Miguel, California, after they were forced to halt the search on Monday as the extreme weather made it unsafe for first responders to continue their efforts, according to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office.

A photo released by police of Kyle Doan, 5, who is missing after he was swept away by floodwaters near San Miguel, Calif.
San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office

Underwater search and rescue, as well as air operations, will continue the search during a break in the intense storms, but warned that conditions continue to be extremely dangerous, the sheriff's office said.

"The water level is high and continues to be fast moving. The public is strongly cautioned not to conduct self-initiated searches and put themselves in harms way and become a victim requiring resources that would otherwise be used for searching," the sheriff's office said in a release.

Jan 10, 2023, 6:59 AM EST

At least 16 people dead due to weather, over 195,000 customers without power

At least 16 people are confirmed dead due to California's most recent band of storms.

Over 195,000 customers are without power throughout the state.

The Los Angeles River rages in Los Angeles, Jan. 10, 2023.
David Swanson/Reuters

San Francisco firefighters remove a large tree branch that fell onto a parked car due to high winds, Jan. 10, 2023, in San Francisco.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

California Gov. Gavin Newsom's office confirmed 14 deaths as of Monday afternoon. Two more deaths were confirmed on Tuesday. Lightning struck a tree that fell on top of a truck, killing its driver. A motorcyclist also died after hitting a tree on the road.

Several people had to be rescued after two vehichles fell into a sinkhole in Chatsworth, Calif., Jan. 10, 2023.
David Swanson/Reuters

-ABC News' Alyssa Starr

Jan 10, 2023, 8:03 AM EST

Over 224,000 customers without power in California

More than 224,000 customers were without power across California early Tuesday, as storms unabatedly battered the Golden State.

As of 4:56 a.m. PT, there were 224,470 Californian customers without power, according to data collected by the website PowerOutage.US. A majority of those -- 64,057 customers -- were located in Santa Clara County.