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(LOS ANGELES) — Southern California may have just experienced a historic amount of rainfall, but more extreme precipitation is headed toward the region.

More than a month’s worth of rain fell in a span of three hours in San Diego on Monday, according to the National Weather Service. The city saw its wettest January day on record and wettest overall day in nearly 100 years on Monday with 2.73 inches of rain on Monday. Typically, San Diego sees an average 1.98 inches of rain in the entire month of January, records dating back to 1850 show.

The Southern California coast has been getting slammed with moisture this week, with up to 9 inches of rain falling in parts of the region over the weekend into Monday. Dozens of rescues were reported around San Diego County due to this historic rainfall.

While the area got a much-needed reprieve beginning on Tuesday, there is growing concern for multiple rounds of heavy rain targeting these same areas in California and other parts of the West beginning later next week and lasting through early February, forecasts show.

Southern California is expected to experience a period of dry weather through at least the upcoming weekend, but rounds of heavy rain are now targeting the northern half of the West Coast, with rain soaking the area from Northern California to Portland and Seattle on Wednesday afternoon. Another round of heavy rain is expected in the Pacific Northwest by Friday night into the upcoming weekend.

Following this storm system, much of the West will experience a brief break. But, the wet winter weather will not subside completely.

At the start of February, an active weather pattern will likely take shape across the West once again, bringing the chance for multiple heavy rain events during the first week of the month.

The extreme rainfall event that hit San Diego and the rounds of heavy rain in the forecast, particularly for southern California, have strong connections to the current El Niño event that is in place.

During the winter months, this leads to wetter than average conditions across much of the Southern U.S, including a large swath of California, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. A typical El Niño pattern favors multiple rounds of heavy rain and an overall period of unsettled, rainy weather.

In addition to El Niño, human-amplified climate change can play a role in extreme rainfall events, especially in the future as the impacts of global warming continue to worsen, experts said.

In the coming weeks, many of the potential heavy rain events along the West Coast will likely be fueled by atmospheric rivers. Atmospheric rivers, essentially rivers in the sky that collect moisture from tropical areas and redistribute the water to other latitudes, are natural part of the global weather system. But climate change is expected to impact the intensity and frequency of atmospheric rivers in the future as global warming leads to more moisture being evaporated into the atmosphere, according to recent research by NOAA.

Researchers found that models in higher temperature scenarios predicted increased low-elevation precipitation, but less high-elevation precipitation, research shows.

And it’s not just atmospheric rivers. Climate change can cause extreme rainfall events to become more frequent and more intense, research shows.

More intense extreme rain events also increase the frequency and scale of flash flooding as the influx of water is more than current infrastructure was built to handle, experts said.

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(MINNEAPOLIS) — A Minnesota State Patrol trooper has been charged in connection to the death of 33-year-old Ricky Cobb II, who was shot and killed during a routine traffic stop on Interstate 94 on July 31, 2023.

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday that Trooper Ryan Londregan has been charged with second-degree murder, first-degree assault and second-degree manslaughter.

“While deadly force by peace officers is justified in some circumstances, the criminal complaint alleges the circumstances in this case did not justify the use of deadly force,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in a statement.

The decision to charge Londregan came after a thorough investigation conducted by her office and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Moriarty added.

“A critical component of the work of the Minnesota State Patrol is engaging with drivers during motor vehicle stops,” Moriarty said in the statement, adding: “Trooper Londregan did not follow this training.”

Londregan’s attorney, Chris Madel, referred ABC News to a brief video statement posted on his website when asked about the charges against his client Wednesday.

“This county attorney has provided sweetheart deals to murderers and kidnappers and now today she charges a hero,” Madel said in the video. “This county attorney is literally out of control. Open season on law enforcement must end, and it’s going to end with this case.”

Londregan, along with the two other troopers involved in the incident, was placed on paid administrative leave amid the investigation and remains on paid leave pending an investigation by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Internal Affairs Division, a spokesperson for the Minnesota State Patrol told ABC News on Wednesday.

“Any time a use-of-force incident ends with the loss of a life, it is tragic. Ricky Cobb II’s death is no different,” Col. Matt Langer, chief of the Minnesota State Patrol, said in a statement Wednesday. “This is a sad situation for everyone involved. We acknowledge the deep loss felt by Mr. Cobb’s family and friends. We also recognize the gravity of this situation for the State Patrol and our troopers tasked with making difficult split-second decisions.”

The Minnesota State Patrol is conducting a review of the DPS’s training and policies, Langer added.

Charges against Londregan come months after the Minnesota Department of Public Safety released body camera footage from Aug. 2, 2023, that shows part of the fatal traffic stop in Minneapolis.

According to the Minnesota DPS, Cobb was initially pulled over because he was driving his Ford Fusion without any taillights on I-94 near Lowry Avenue just after 1:50 a.m. But after he was stopped, the trooper learned Cobb was wanted for a felony-level violation, the DPS said.

Troopers tried to detain Cobb, but he refused to get out of his vehicle and started to drive away as troopers attempted to physically remove him, according to the DPS. A trooper, later identified as Londregan, fired his gun and struck Cobb multiple times, the DPS said.

The body camera video appears to show two troopers speaking with Cobb while standing outside the driver and the passenger side windows, with a third trooper standing behind the car.

As Cobb attempts to drive away, a trooper attempts to stop him and appears to grab the steering wheel, the video shows, but the car takes off and knocks two troopers to the ground, while the third is briefly dragged by the car for about a couple of seconds.

The trooper who was standing on the passenger’s side of the car appears to fire at Cobb, who drives a short distance and then stops, the video shows.

The video shows the troopers approaching the car and appearing to render aid to Cobb before first responders arrive at the scene.

Cobb’s family, who has been calling for justice since his death in July, welcomed the decision to charge the trooper.

“Ryan Londregan stole my son from me,” Cobb’s mother, Nyra Fields-Miller, said in a statement Wednesday. “He gunned Ricky down, my son, for no reason while he was defenseless. Nothing can ever make up for that. But today’s decision is the first step toward closure and justice.”

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Cobb’s family is represented by attorneys Bakari Sellers, Harry Daniels and F. Clayton Tyler.

“We want to thank the County Attorney’s Office and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for their deliberate investigation and their continued transparency,” Sellers said in a statement Wednesday. “This is an important first step for this family, for this community and for the cause of accountability and justice across America.”

Moriarty shared her condolences with the Cobb family upon announcing the charges.

“Our hearts are with Ricky Cobb’s family today, who are grieving an unimaginable loss,” Moriarty said Wednesday. “I know that they are devastated and will continue to feel this loss for the rest of their lives.”

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(NEW YORK) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams is classifying social media as a “public health hazard” and an “environmental toxin,” saying young people must be protected from “harm” online.

“Today, Dr. Ashwin Vasan is issuing a Health Commissioner’s Advisory, officially designating social media as a public health hazard in New York City,” Adams announced during his State of the City address Wednesday.

An advisory from the city said mental health for young New Yorkers “has been declining for over a decade.” The advisory said that data from 2021 showed that on weekdays, 77% of New York City high schoolers spent three or more hours per day in front of screens, not including homework.

Adams claimed TikTok, YouTube and Facebook are “fueling a mental health crisis by designing their platforms with addictive and dangerous features.”

“We are the first major American city to take this step and call out the danger of social media like this,” the mayor said. “Just as the surgeon general did with tobacco and guns, we are treating social media like other public health hazards and ensuring that tech companies take responsibility for their products.”

In May 2023, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory warning that excessive social media use could be a “profound risk” to youth mental health.

The advisory recognized that social media has both positive and negative effects on young people. According to Pew Research, 59% of adolescents reported that social media helps them feel more accepted. But the advisory said ultimately there wasn’t enough “research and clear data” to determine if social media is “safe” for adolescents to use.

“I issued my advisory on social media and youth mental health because the most common question parents ask me is if social media is safe for their kids. While some kids experience benefits from social media, there is not enough evidence to conclude that social media is sufficiently safe,” Murthy told ABC News last year. “Instead, there is more evidence that many kids are harmed by their use of social media.”

“Our children have become unknowing participants in a decades-long experiment,” Murthy said last year. “And while there is more we have to learn about the full impact of social media use on their health and well-being, we know enough now to take action and protect our kids.”

In a response issued at the time of the advisory from Murthy, a representative for Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, referred to mental health as a “complex issue” and pointed toward other contributing factors such as limited access to health care, the COVID-19 pandemic and academic pressure.

Representatives for YouTube told ABC News at the time that they have implemented a variety of safeguards for young users, including adding “digital wellbeing features,” removing content that “endangers the emotional wellbeing of minors or promotes suicide and self-harm,” and “exploring ways to further collaborate with researchers.”

A TikTok spokesperson told ABC News that its companies have added user aids to improve youth mental health, such as bedtime reminders and age restrictions. The company also said that it built an application programming interface that includes public data on content and accounts on the platform, which is available to U.S. researchers.

ABC News’ Ivan Pereira, Shannon Caturano and Peter Charalambous contributed to this report.

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(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — The Ohio Senate has voted to override Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto against Ohio House Bill 68 in a 23-9 vote. This bill would ban transgender minors from receiving gender-affirming medical care and prevent transgender girls from taking part in girls’ and women’s sports.

The Ohio House voted to override the veto on Jan. 10.

The bill restricts the use of puberty blockers, hormone therapy or surgeries for transgender youth. The bill does not restrict the use of this care on non-transgender youth, and specifically includes an exception for intersex youth with ambiguous or abnormal sex characteristics.

A grandfather clause allows transgender people already receiving care to continue doing so.

Physicians have told ABC News that doctors, families and patients often have many long conversations together to consider age-appropriate individualized approaches to care. This often begins with mental health care, they say.

For youth approaching puberty, puberty blockers are a reversible form of gender-affirming care that allows children to pause puberty and explore their gender identity without the growth of permanent sex characteristics (e.g., breasts, genitalia) that may cause further stress, according to physicians interviewed by ABC News.

Hormone therapy for older teens helps align a patient’s physical appearance with their gender identity. Patients are given estrogen or testosterone, and the changes from these medications occur slowly and are partially reversible.

Surgeries on adolescents are rare and only considered on a case-by-case basis, physicians have told ABC News.

DeWine vetoed the bill in December 2023, saying he believed the bill as written would harm transgender youth and impede on families’ ability to make decisions after speaking with those who would be impacted by the legislation.

“The decisions that parents are making are not easy decisions,” DeWine said in the Dec. 29 press conference. “These tough, tough decisions should not be made by the government. They should not be made by the state of Ohio. They should be made by the people who love these kids the most. And that’s the parents, the parents who raised the child, the parents who have seen that child go through agony.”

However, he agreed with several concerns highlighted by the legislature.

He proposed rules to regulate gender-affirming care instead that would be less likely to be challenged in court — including bans on surgeries for minors.

“None of [the families] that I talked to talked about surgery,” said DeWine in a Dec. 29 statement. “That’s not where they were going in the discussion. And I think that’s, frankly, a fallacy that’s out there that, you know, this goes right to surgery. It just doesn’t. All the children’s hospitals say that we don’t do surgeries.”

At least 21 states have implemented restrictions on access to gender-affirming care, many of which have faced legal challenges.

A law banning gender-affirming care for minors in Arkansas was ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge and similar laws have been blocked in Georgia, Indiana, Idaho, Texas and Montana while lawsuits are considered.

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DeWine also proposed reporting and data collection on those who receive care to better monitor quality of care, as well as implementing restrictions on “pop-up clinics” that serve the transgender community.

“I truly believe that we can address a number of goals in House Bill 68 by administrative rules that will have likely a better chance of surviving judicial review and being adopted,” DeWine said.

Gender-affirming care has been called safe and effective by more than 20 major national medical associations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association. The AMA has said this care can be medically necessary to improve the physical and mental health of transgender people.

Transgender youth are more likely to experience anxiety, depressed mood and suicidal ideation and suicide attempts due to discrimination and gender dysphoria, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Research shows hormone therapy can improve the mental health of transgender adolescents and teenagers, a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine found.

When asked if he had thoughts on the sports restrictions in the bill, DeWine said he “focused on the part of the bill that I thought affected the most people and the most children by far,” referring to the gender-affirming care portion of the bill.

The bill also would ban transgender girls from participating in sports. It would replace the state’s current transgender sport participation policies, which require a transgender girl to complete a minimum of one year of hormone treatment or demonstrate that she did not possess physical or physiological advantages over genetic females.

For a transgender male to participate in sports, he currently must demonstrate that his muscle mass developed as a result of testosterone treatment and does not exceed muscle mass typical of adolescent genetic males. Hormone levels are then monitored every three to six months.

However, as Rep. Richard D. Brown pointed out during House debate on the bill, the Ohio Constitution states that “no bill shall contain more than one subject, which shall be clearly expressed in its title.” It is unclear if this will complicate the bill’s path forward.

Physicians who provide any gender-affirming medical care for trans youth in Ohio under this law would be “subject to discipline by the applicable professional licensing board” under this legislation.

ABC News’ Mary Kekatos contributed to this report.

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(NEW YORK) — Thirty-five million Americans are under flood watches as states from Texas to the Northeast face heavy rain and potential flooding.

In the Northeast, flood watches were prompted Wednesday by the combination of rain and warming temperatures melting the snow on the ground. Icy conditions in New England could make roads extremely dangerous during the evening commute.

The heaviest rain on Wednesday is moving through the Gulf Coast and Deep South, including eastern Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

Two to 5 inches of rain has already inundated Jackson, Mississippi, with more on the way.

By Wednesday night, the heavy rain will stretch from Houston to New Orleans to Birmingham, Alabama.

Rain totals could reach 8 inches by Wednesday night.

Damaging winds and isolated tornadoes are also possible Wednesday night in Louisiana and Mississippi.

On Thursday, the flood threat will continue for Louisiana and Mississippi and will also move into Alabama and Georgia.

 

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(NEW YORK) — A search is underway for two murder suspects who escaped from jail in Arkansas, officials said.

Noah Roush, 22, and Jatonia Bryant, 23, were discovered missing from the Dub Brassell Adult Detention Center in Pine Bluff, Arkansas on Monday. They are believed to have escaped within 48 hours of being discovered missing, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said.

Roush was being detained on probable cause for a residential burglary and theft of property. Roush was also a suspect in a homicide, the sheriff’s office said.

Bryant was being detained on probable cause for capital murder, according to law enforcement.

The sheriff’s office said both individuals should be “considered dangerous” and should only be approached by law enforcement personnel.

“All efforts are being made at this moment to apprehend these suspects. The JCSO is working in cooperation with the Pine Bluff Police Department Vice and Narcotics, Arkansas State Police, And Arkansas Department of Correction to locate these individuals,” the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.

 

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(NEW YORK) — After a barrage of icy storms, strong winds and record-breaking freezes, Americans living in southern states are now battling one of weather’s most dangerous side effects — bursting pipes.

Residents in Tennessee and Mississippi were placed under water advisory notices and had limited access to clean, running water.

The city of Memphis was under a five-day water boiling notice while repair crews worked around-the-clock to repair pipes that had burst in the frigid temperatures. The boiling notice was lifted on Tuesday, according to Memphis Light, Gas and Water.

“Four inches of snow in the Northeast, for example, wouldn’t be a hazard, but in the South, we don’t have the same level of operational infrastructure,” according to a spokesperson for Memphis Mayor Paul Young.

Water pipes can start to freeze when the temperature reaches 20 degrees Fahrenheit. If pipes freeze solid, residents lose access to running water completely and the pressure buildup can cause pipes to burst, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Young’s office praised Memphis Light, Gas and Water for working quickly to restore water infrastructure and lift water boiling advisories as quickly and safely as possible.

“The very cold temps caused breaks in pipes in businesses and homes and about 70 water mains. MLGW was able to restore full system pressure within 72 hours and will be lifting the precautionary boil water advisory today,” Young’s spokesperson said.

If water mains and pipes crack or burst, the conditions within the water infrastructure could potentially allow contaminants to enter the distribution system, according to the National Association of Water Companies.

In Jackson, Mississippi, 12,000 customers, largely in the west and south areas of the city, saw low to no water pressure at the height of last week’s freeze, according to Jackson’s public utility service, JXN Water.

“How do you think you’ll feel [if] you didn’t have water?” Jackson resident Jackie Pitchford told ABC affiliate WAPT-TV on Monday after waking up to no water running from her kitchen sink. “You had to use the bathroom. Do you want to take a bath? It’s like living in the woods. Like being homeless, or something,” she said.

Pitchford shared her frustration over needing to buy water amid the freeze and still pay her utility bill at the end of the month.

“It’s been terrible because you have to buy water and you still have a bill to pay,” Pitchford said. “And we are seniors and we can’t afford that on a fixed income.”

Jackson has been hit with a total of 145 water pipe breaks, including 16 new breaks which were reported Tuesday. Of those, 102 breaks have been repaired or are under active repair as crews continue to combat the effects of the icy weather, according to JXN Water.

“The winter weather was challenging for all of us, especially with the combination of pipe breaks because of the cold and significantly higher than usual water use,” Ted Henifin, a manager at JXN Water, told ABC News. “We’re working around the clock to make the system better every day.”

Henifin noted that in addition to icy weather, the city’s increasing demand for water had contributed to the crisis.

“Demand is down significantly from the peak experienced during the freeze but still remains about 4 million gallons per day above our average,” Henifin said of the increased water demand affecting the area’s pipes. “There may still be isolated pressure fluctuations throughout the remainder of the week as storage is not fully recovered.”

While water companies and local authorities are working to repair public access to water, there are steps residents can take to help themselves and their communities at large.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, when residents are expecting very cold or freezing temperatures they should:

-Leave all water taps slightly open so they drip continuously.
-Keep the temperature inside your home warm.
-Allow heated air to reach pipes. For example, open cabinet doors beneath the kitchen and bathroom sinks.
-If your pipes do freeze, do not thaw them with a torch. Thaw the pipes slowly with warm air from an electric hair dryer.
-If you cannot thaw your pipes, or the pipes have broken open, use bottled water or get water from a neighbor’s home.
-As an emergency measure, if no other water is available, snow can be melted for water. Bringing water to a rolling boil for one minute will kill most germs but won’t get rid of chemicals sometimes found in snow.

 

 

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(NEW YORK) — An Amish family had their horse and buggy stolen while they shopped at a Michigan Walmart, police say.

The theft took place on Saturday at approximately 5:30 p.m. in the town of Sturgis, Michigan – some 95 miles south of Grand Rapids near the Indiana border – when the Sturgis Department of Public Safety were called to the Walmart on 1500 S. Centerville Road to a report of a stolen Amish buggy and horse from the establishment’s parking lot, authorities said.

“A truck driver, parked in the Walmart lot, had seen a female steal the buggy,” according to a statement from the Sturgis Department of Public Safety. “He gave police a description of the female suspect.”

As it turns out, police had already made contact with the 31-year-old female suspect earlier in the day at the same Walmart, though officials did not elaborate on why they had spoken to her or what the reason behind the contact was.

Police eventually found the stolen horse and buggy later the same evening and were able to find the alleged unnamed suspect at a nearby motel where she was arrested without incident, according to authorities.

The suspect was subsequently lodged at the St. Joseph County Jail on the charges of larceny and larceny of livestock. She is currently pending an arraignment.

The horse was returned to the family, along with their buggy, following the incident and police said the animal was unharmed during the ordeal.

 

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(NEW YORK) — Because of the quick response from an Ashland, Ohio, police officer, a 3-year-old girl has a second chance at life after falling and becoming unresponsive after hitting her head.

The accident happened on Jan. 8 at approximately 9:10 p.m. in the town of Ashland, Ohio – some 65 miles southwest of Cleveland – when dispatchers sent police to a home on Cottage Street to reports of an unresponsive 3-year-old girl who had fallen and hit her head, according to a statement from the Ashland Police Division.

A 23-year-old Ashland police officer, Soren Osicka, along with several other officers, immediately began life-saving efforts on the young girl and requested emergency medical services for backup.

“Without hesitation, Officer Osicka began CPR to provide the essential circulation and oxygen needed to sustain her life. Within seconds, the child began to breathe independently but abruptly stopped breathing again,” said the Ashland Police Division describing the incident. “Officer Osicka continued CPR until the girl began to breathe once more and respond. Officers cared for the child until EMS arrived for transport to a hospital.”

Police took the opportunity to remind people how critical CPR training can be following Officer Osicka’s heroism.

“This incident emphasizes the importance of CPR training,” police said. “The Division will undergo refresher training this year to better prepare officers for such a scenario. We encourage everyone to become certified in CPR, as these lifesaving skills can make a significant difference in emergencies like this one.”

The unnamed 3-year-old child has since recovered and returned home.

Said the Ashland Police Division: “The selfless actions of public safety personnel often go unnoticed. This incident is a shining example of the compassion, poise, and dedication of the officers of the Ashland Police Division. Officer Osicka’s heroic actions remind us of law enforcement’s invaluable role in our communities.”

ABC News’ Victoria Arancio contributed to this report.

 

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(NEW YORK) — Parts of a winter storm that brought historic rainfall to Southern California this week is now moving eastward, bringing even more precipitation to the southern and eastern United States.

Areas of eastern Texas, where flash flood warnings have been issued, already got up to a half of a foot of rainfall on Tuesday and overnight into Wednesday. Some schools there had delayed openings on Wednesday morning and some roads were closed north of Houston.

As of early Wednesday, 17 states were under flood watches for heavy rain as well as a combination of heavy rain and melting snow.

Rounds of heavy rain are in the forecast for Wednesday and Thursday across the South and even into the Midwest, where all the snow is melting from mild temperatures.

On Wednesday, the heaviest rain will hit from Houston, Texas, to New Orleans, Louisiana, and into Jackson, Mississippi, where some areas could see an additional 3 to 6 inches of rain and flash flooding is expected.

Some thunderstorms could also become severe on Wednesday with damaging winds and even a few tornadoes, especially in southern Louisiana and Mississippi.

By Thursday, the flood threat is forecast to move into Georgia, including Atlanta, where 2 to 3 inches of rain could fall with localized amounts up to 5 inches possible.

Meanwhile, 23 sates from Texas to Washington and east to Pennsylvania were under dense fog alerts for Wednesday morning, with visibility dropping close to zero in some places. Overnight, a ground stop was issued at Texas’ Dallas Fort Worth International Airport due to visibility near zero.

The fog is expected to impact major cities and their airports, including Dallas, Texas; New Orleans, Louisiana; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Little Rock, Arkansas; Kansas City, Missouri; St. Louis, Missouri; Chicago, Illinois; and Detroit, Michigan.

The fog should dissipate in most areas by Wednesday afternoon but is forecast to reform in the evening.

In the Northeast, a mix of snow and ice was falling lightly early Wednesday from northern Pennsylvania to upstate New York into the New England area. Winter weather advisories have been issued from Pennsylvania to Maine for Wednesday morning, though not much snowfall is in the forecast there — possibly an inch or two with a glaze of ice.

Most of the weather alerts are set to expire Wednesday morning, while some — mostly in northern New England — remain in effect until the evening.

Much of the precipitation in the Northeast is expected to transition into just rain by Wednesday evening as temperatures warm well above freezing.

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