A harsh winter storm, the most recent in a string of "atmospheric rivers," shocked California on Thursday, severely damaging the coast, flooding city streets, uprooting trees, covering the mountains in snow, and killing a child after a tree fell on their residence, even as the country's most populous state was still reeling from a similar downpour just days earlier.

As the powerful storm roared into the state on Wednesday, authorities had issued evacuation orders for a high-risk coastal region where mudslides claimed 23 lives in 2018. Authorities issued a warning for people to stay inside in preparation for flooded roads, downed trees, and other threats, as the storm knocked out power to more than 100,000 people.

The storm poured rain in parts of the San Francisco Bay Area, where the region had been under flood warnings. The storm was anticipated to reach its peak in Southern California early on Thursday, with Santa Barbara and Ventura counties likely to get the most rainfall, according to forecasts.

At the San Francisco International Airport, strong winds with gusts of 85 mph (136 kph) or higher resulted in the cancellation of more than 70 flights as well as downed trees and power lines. A family was saved by firefighters after a tree fell on their car. According to poweroutage.us, more than 180,000 households and businesses were without electricity in California early on Thursday.

The storm is the most recent of three 'atmospheric river storms' to hit the drought-stricken state in the last week. California Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency to enable swift action and to assist with the cleaning following another strong storm that struck just days before.

The storm erupted days after a downpour on New Year's Eve in Northern California forced evacuations and resulted in the rescue of numerous drivers from flooded highways. At least four people drowned in floods, and several levees to the south of Sacramento were damaged. According to authorities, the storms won't be sufficient to relieve the state's prolonged drought, which is already in its fourth year.