California officials urge preparations as first of 2 atmospheric rivers enters state

California officials are urging residents to prepare for storm conditions as the first of two atmospheric rivers is set to soak the state.

Forecasters are warning that the first wave is going to dump heavy amounts of rain throughout the state, bringing flooding, snowfall and strong winds. The National Weather Service issued an alert of excessive rainfall for Southern California from Thursday into Friday morning.

The kind of atmospheric river headed to the Golden State on Thursday is known as the “Pineapple Express” because its tail of moisture stretches back toward Hawaii. While the rain from the weather event is set to dissipate by Friday, a second atmospheric river is expected Sunday, in what federal forecasters say could be a stronger storm.

California has activated its State Operations Center and is preparing to address potential flooding and power outages, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office announced this week. Golden State residents were also told to prepare for damaging winds.

“The state is working around the clock with our local partners to deploy life-saving equipment and resources statewide,” Newsom said in a statement earlier this week. “With more storms on the horizon, we’ll continue to mobilize every available resource to protect Californians.”

The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) also announced it was setting up prepositioned fire engines and personnel in numerous counties to help respond to any emergencies due to the storm.

The Associated Press reported that Brian Ferguson, Cal OES deputy director of crisis communications, described the upcoming storm as “a significant threat to the safety of Californians.”

“This really is a broad sweep of California that’s going to see threats over the coming week,” Ferguson said.

The Associated Press contributed.