Death toll in California storms hits 17 and ‘likely to grow’, says state’s governor

Floods and mudslides forced thousands of people to evacuate as more than 100,000 homes and businesses left without power

• Storms wreak havoc across California - in pictures

At least 17 people have been killed in California as a relentless string of storms batter the state, turning rivers into gushing flood zones and forcing thousands of people to evacuate from towns with histories of deadly mudslides.

A catastrophic barrage of storms has caused destruction since late December, with the latest hitting in recent days and more storms on the horizon. Heavy rainfall and winds continued on Tuesday, putting entire communities under flood warnings and evacuation orders, knocking out power to tens of thousands and causing hillsides to collapse.