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Relentless storm drowns California, USA (pictures, video)

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Two killed after tree falls on car and mom and daughter are rescued from huge sinkhole as powerful storms batter California: Massive boulders cleared from roads as Montecito residents - including Meghan Markle, Oprah and Ellen - are told to evacuate 

Two motorists in Visalia, California are the latest fatalities of the state's historic storms after a tree fell on their vehicle on State Route 99 around 6am Tuesday. 

The incident in the Northern California area caused multiple vehicles to crash, California Highway Patrol officials said after the crash.

The deaths come just hours after a mother and daughter were rescued from a sinkhole in a Los Angeles neighborhood overnight after the road they were on continued to 'sluff and deteriorate' from heavy rain hitting the area. 

The massive storm, caused by a series of atmospheric rivers, has wreaked havoc across the state, including residents in star-studded Montecito, California - including Prince Harry and Meghan, Oprah, and Ellen, all of whom have been warned to evacuate.

The Golden State saw no relief from drenching rains on Tuesday as roads turned into gushing flood zones, forcing the evacuation of thousands in towns with histories of deadly mudslides. 

Rainfall throughout the day was expected to be 'heavy to excessive' across the state, especially in southern California, as winds gusts were clocked at more than 40 miles an hour in many places, the National Weather Service said.

Since the storms began last week, 17 people have died in weather-related incidents in the state. On Sunday, President Joe Biden issued an emergency declaration, granting California access to funding and resources desperately needed.

The sinkhole rescue took place around 7.20pm in Chatsworth, a neighborhood located between Santa Clarita and Los Angeles. 

In total, four people were inside the sinkhole in two cars that fell in but two were able to exit on their own, according to Los Angeles Fire Department officials. 

Iverson Road where the sinkhole opened up had continued to 'sluff and deteriorate' from the heavy rainfall and inclement weather. 

Additionally, Battalion Chief Andrew Wordin said on Twitter the rescue was complicated as 'more water [that] had been flowing down the street and was filling the hole.' 

The entire road is now compromised by the sinkhole, officials said, and the hole is 'fully cutting across southbound lanes of Iverson Road.' 

To the east, another roadway was blocked after a 'big rock' fell onto Malibu Canyon Road, completely cutting off traffic flow in the area. 

The blocked roads are just the latest in a string of heavy damage across the state as residents cope with a high volume of rainfall and windspeeds upwards of 60 miles per hour in some area. 

The winds wreaked havoc on the power grid, knocking out electricity to tens of thousands of Californians.


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