California braces for ‘bomb cyclone’ as Pineapple Express is set to dump 8TRILLION gallons of rain – almost enough water to entirely fill Lake Mead

California is expected to receive more than eight trillion gallons of rain amid a “bomb cyclone” that could bring power outages and deadly flooding.

Atmospheric rivers began hitting the state last week, toppling trees and flooding roads. With the ground already soaked from the first storm, officials expressed concerns about mudslides and flooding.

The Weather Prediction Center has issued a Level 4 risk for excessive rainfall in Santa Barbara and Oxnard – an extremely rare advisory issued on average less than 4 percent of days.

A Level 3 risk was imposed for much of the California coast, including San Francisco through Los Angeles.

Weather researcher Ryan Maue said the “bomb cyclone” – a term describing a storm that rapidly intensifies within 24 hours – could dump more than 8 trillion gallons of rainfall on the state.

He compared the quantity to the volume of Lake Mead: 8.5 trillion liters.

Nancy Ward, director of the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, said at a news conference Saturday that more than 8,500 members of public safety organizations had been mobilized in anticipation of the storm.

The threat of extreme weather was so great that Gov. Gavin Newsom activated the state’s emergency operations center, which would operate 24 hours a day, Ward added.

Officials in Santa Barbara County strengthened evacuation advisories on Saturday.

That same day, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office issued evacuation orders for some communities from 5:00 PM local time on Saturday to 5:00 PM on Sunday.

“While Ventura County remains one of the safest counties in America, it is prone to hazardous conditions that often occur during heavy rainstorms,” according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.

“Residents are asked to remain vigilant for changing conditions and if asked to evacuate, to follow the recommendations of public safety officials.”

Crews could be seen laying sandbags to prevent rising sea levels, while many beaches were closed indefinitely.

There was flooding in Sonoma, Marin, San Francisco, Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties, as well as along the Southern California coast, some of which lasted at least the entire weekend.

Forecasters say flooding is possible across the state through Tuesday. At least 6 inches of rain will likely fall from the lower Central Coast to coastal Los Angeles County, with a possible chance of 12 inches.

The worst of the storm is expected to hit the state between Sunday and Tuesday.

The WPC forecast at least eight inches of rain in less than 24 hours for parts of Southern California’s Transverse Ranges.

Maximum totals of more than 10 inches are possible in areas where storms strike repeatedly in a short period of time.

Totals of three to six inches are expected for Central and Southern California, according to the agency. And up to a foot of rain is expected in the mountains of Southern California.

Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson warned that some parts of the city could see more rain this weekend than normal in a year.

The expected five to seven centimeters of precipitation makes the city particularly vulnerable to power outages.

The National Weather Service has expressed concern about the possibility of nonstop moderate to heavy rain from Sunday through Monday for a total of 48 hours.

High winds remain a threat across much of California, with gusts between 40 and 60 miles per hour (and some as high as 75 to 80 miles per hour) with the potential for downed trees and power outages.

San Jose and Salinas are threatened Sunday by severe storms, including tornadoes and destructive winds.

Snow is also on the horizon in some parts of the state.

Mono County, along the Nevada border, is targeted for significant snow amounts. This includes popular tourist destinations such as Yosemite National Park.

There is an 80 to 90 percent chance of more than four feet of snowfall at elevations above 7,000 feet through Monday evening, according to the NWS office in Reno.

The agency’s Los Angeles office offered guidance to travelers Sunday through Tuesday, describing the atmospheric river as a “major storm with dangerous, even life-threatening consequences.”

Tips included moving parked cars from low-lying areas prone to flooding and charging batteries and phones in case of power outages.

The NWS also urged Californians to change their travel plans to avoid traveling in the mountains — areas where the heaviest precipitation is expected to fall.