California crews scramble to blow up boulders on highway before bomb cyclone ... trends now
California Department of Transportation officials worked quickly on Monday to blow up large boulders that snarled traffic for hours ahead of another winter storm.
Explosive experts could be seen in video posted online reducing the tractor-sized boulders to dust and ash in just a matter of seconds as California Department of Transportation officials kept Highway 50 clear of cars for about an hour.
The boulders reduced the highway to just one lane in each direction on New Years Eve in a massive winter storm that battered northern California with widespread flooding and heavy snowfall.
Fortunately, no vehicles were damaged on the road — one of three highways that connect the area to Lake Tahoe, a popular ski destination for residents in the area.
But it may now be closed down once again, as the area gets hit with a second life-threatening storm that has already sparked evacuation orders and prompted Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency.
Tractor-sized boulders left just one lane open on Highway 50, leading to Lake Tahoe,
California Department of Transportation crews worked quickly to destroy the boulders ahead of another life-threatening storm Wednesday night
Several large boulders fell onto Highway 50 just east of Kyburz in a New Years Eve storm
A so-called bomb cyclone — a rapidly-intensifying storm — was moving into California on Wednesday night, and is expected to bring 'widespread flooding, impassible roads, mudslides/landslides [and] rapid rises in rivers/creeks,' according to the National Weather Service.
The NWS is now urging residents to have 'go bags' at the ready and prepare insurance documentation in advance of the storm — which is expected to worsen overnight into Thursday.
Virtually all of northern and central California is under flood watches and high-wind warnings with gusts of up to 60mph expected, the Washington Post reports.
Starting during the evening commute on Wednesday, low-lying areas in the north could see two to four inches of rain, while higher elevations could start to see up to
