California braces for expected snowstorms

54 dead in floods and landslides in Brazil

Residents work to remove mud after landslides in São Sebastião, Brazil. Reuters

Floods and landslides in southeastern Brazil have killed 54 people, according to a new toll announced by authorities, on the sixth day of searches.

Rescue teams in Sao Paulo state are still working hard, hoping to find dozens of people still missing in the coastal town of Sao Sebastião (200 km from Sao Paulo), which has been hit hard by bad weather.

One rescuer said: "The more time passes, the less chance of finding survivors, but we are still working towards that goal."

Rescuers focused their efforts mainly on the Villa Sahi area, where a mudslide buried several houses on a hillside.

São Paulo Governor Tarcisio de Freitas admitted that the SMS alert system of the population did not allow the tragedy to be avoided.

In the United States, California is bracing for a storm that hits the country from coast to coast, threatening to paralyze roads and cutting power to nearly a million homes and businesses, prompting flood and snowstorm warnings.

The National Weather Service warned of a cold and dangerous winter storm until Saturday. Up to five feet of snow can fall in some mountains near Los Angeles, which can lead to a lack of visibility with wind speeds of up to 75 mph and increased risk of avalanches.