Person in Flooded Car Dies as Winter Storm Damages Levee and Causes Major Flood in California

A spokesperson for Sacramento Metro Fire confirmed to ABC News that one person was reported dead in a car on Sunday in California as the state was flooded by a winter storm that dumped a lot of snow and damaged a levee.

A representative for Sacramento Metro Fire confirmed that the deceased was located in their flooded car in the southernmost region of Sacramento County, close to Elk Grove.

According to Sacramento Metro Fire, the deceased's identity and cause of death haven't been verified pending a coroner's investigation.

Flash Flood Warnings and Impassable Roads

Flash flood warnings were issued for the region by the Sacramento National Weather Service, advising motorists to avoid the roads.

According to Parker Wilbourn, the captain of the Sacramento Metro Fire, who is also the Public Information Officer, the flooding in the area was brought on by several levee breaks.

Early on Saturday afternoon, the Sacramento County Office of Emergency Services issued a shelter-in-place order for Wilton residents.

According to the Sacramento County Office of Emergency Services, rising water has rendered the region's roads impassable.

A highway close to Elk Grove has been shut down as a result of the Cosumnes River flooding, according to Caltrans District 3, which is responsible for maintaining the state highway system in 11 counties in northern California.

Despite all the extreme weather in California, there was one ray of hope: the storm system may have replenished the reservoirs and mountain snowpacks that were in desperate need of it.

It is still too soon to say, according to meteorologists, whether the storms this week will be beneficial in the long run.

Atmospheric River

According to NWS Sacramento, two more storms are predicted for northern California over the coming week, the second of which is expected to bring flooding to the region on Wednesday and Thursday.

The National Weather Service for the San Francisco Bay Area reported that more than 5 inches of rain fell in downtown San Francisco on Saturday, breaking the previous daily record.

The Sierra Nevada mountains received more than eight feet of snow from the atmospheric river, closing many ski resorts and closing many roads, ABC News reports.

Avalanche warnings are already in place as the system moves east through the Rockies following the deaths of one skier near Breckenridge, Colorado, and another skier who was caught on camera during an avalanche from downtown Telluride over the weekend.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the West Coast is currently being battered by an atmospheric river, which typically brings intense rain, wind, and snow to the regions through which it flows.

The NOAA refers to atmospheric rivers as "rivers in the sky" because they are relatively long and narrow areas in the atmosphere that transport the majority of the water vapor outside of the tropics.

Not all atmospheric rivers cause harm; the majority are feeble systems that frequently bring helpful precipitation or snow that is essential to the water supply. In the western United States, in particular, atmospheric rivers play a significant role in the global water cycle and are closely linked to both water supply and flood risks.