DHAKA: A major storm that pummeled northern California and the Pacific Northwest with heavy rain and high winds and killed two people.

The storm has moved south overnight, prompting evacuation orders in areas prone to floods and mud flows, reports the Straits Times.

The National Weather Service forecast the system to track through southwestern California late on Thursday and into Friday, bringing the possibility of strong thunderstorms, as well as waterspouts and small tornadoes along the coast.

As the storm loomed, officials in the Los Angeles suburb of Glendora issued a mandatory evacuation order in the area impacted by the Colby Fire that burned some 809 hectares in January.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department also ordered some residents in San Jacinto, which saw mud flows during a large storm last week that damaged homes and vehicles, to evacuate.

BDST: 1719 HRS, DEC 12, 2014