06 February 2024 , 13:54
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Howling winds and torrential rain are blasting California this week as the Pineapple Express system of volatile weather brings flooding misery to the sunshine state, leaving at least three people dead.
Flash flood warnings have been issued for several parts of the state and residents have been evacuated in the worst-hit areas. The storms are threatening areas of the state famous for their association with celebrities.
Multi-million-dollar celebrity mansions owned by the likes of George Clooney, Halle Berry, Lady Gaga and Harry and Meghan are all under threat as extreme weather pounds the exclusive Beverly Hills, Malibu and Montecito neighbourhoods.
READ MORE: Los Angeles weather warning as California storms bring flash floods to Hollywood
Mudslides left parts of Studio City littered with debris following the heavy rains (Anadolu via Getty Images)Mudslides, power outages and flooding have hit thousands of California residents since the storm struck on Saturday. Fallen trees and power line damage have resulted from dangerous winds in the Bay Area, Sacramento Valley, and Central Coast.
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The National Weather Service called Sunday “one of the most dramatic weather days in recent memory" as the massive, slow moving weather event reached the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
Lady Gaga lives in California (Getty Images for Park MGM Las Ve)Dozens of households have been forced to evacuate after landslides were reported in the Hollywood Hills and the Santa Monica Mountains, damaging multiple homes leaving a trail of destruction in the exclusive neighbourhoods.
Firefighters had to rescue 16 people from nine properties in Studio City in the early hours of Monday morning - the same neighbourhood where George Clooney lives in a luxury home worth $2.2 million.
George Clooney also lives in the state (Variety via Getty Images)Mud, rocks and debris littered roads in the upscale neighbourhood as residents woke up on Monday morning to find storm damage including walls blown over onto parked cars and pavements.
A 'flood watch' warning has been placed on Harry and Meghan's $14.65million Montecito mansion for 28 hours as their home county of Santa Barbara braced for 5.1 inches of rain on Monday.
Roads turned into rivers in Los Angeles and across the state as the storms battered California (Anadolu via Getty Images)Meanwhile Malibu, home to Halle Berry who has a $8.5 million, 5,000 square-foot mansion in the city, is under a coastal flood warning with National Weather service warning residents to stay away from the water.
Nearby is Lady Gaga’s six-acre property, home to her own sprawling Malibu mansion worth $24 million. Meanwhile the torrential rain turned the star-studded city into a disaster zone with streets turning into rivers and residents deploying sand bags to try and protect their homes.
Meghan Markle lives in Montecito, CaliforniaThe wider county of Los Angeles was due to be hammered with 6.37 inches of rain over Monday, The National Weather Service warned.
Los Angeles Mayor Mayor Bass expressed her concerns to The LA Times about potentially dangerous mudslides and flooding in Studio City, Encino, Baldwin Hills, Baldwin Vista and La Tuna Canyon. "Hopefully, this won't get worse," she said.
Mark Morris shovels out mud blocking his garage after a mud slide during severe storms that hit Southern California on February 5 (Anadolu via Getty Images)"You know, the governor has declared a state of emergency in case we need additional resources, but there's no evidence that we need that right now. But if we do, at least it will be there."
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California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in eight counties with a combined population of more than 20 million people, and flash flood warnings were issued for parts of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.