Fierce 'Pineapple Express' Storm Moves Into Southern California, Forcing Evacuations

 A fierce storming moving down the west coast this week continued to wreak havoc in California's southland on Friday, causing flooding and forcing evacuations.

The storm system swept from Washington, through Oregon and down to California this week, with high winds causing two deaths and multiple injuries. Flooded roadways in Northern California forced some schools and workplaces to close.

Now, as the storm reaches southern California, mainly Los Angeles County, local officials and meteorologists worry of possible mudslides in areas where recent forest fires have left the land barren and vulnerable to copious amounts of water.

"It's a big storm, as we expected, and it's headed south with very powerful winds and heavy rainfall," National Weather Service meteorologist Will Pi told the Associated Press.

The stom, known as the "Pineapple Express" due to its Hawaiin origin, also caused massive power outages, severe hurricane-level winds and 10 inches of rain on Thursday alone. Additionally, flights were canceled in response to the dire weather conditions.

Michael Palmer, lead meteorologist at The Weather Channel, told NBC News that the storm arrived in Los Angeles just before dawn Friday, and is likely to affect people's commutes in the city.

"It is going to be a rather messy morning for people trying to get to work," Palmer said. "People will have to deal with the high winds and there could be pooling on the roadways and even some localized flooding." 

Citizens of California have reportedly not experienced this much rainfall in six years following a record-setting drought.