Photos this week: January 5-12, 2023
A neighborhood is flooded in Merced, California, on Tuesday, January 10.
Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images

The week in 34 photos

Updated 0043 GMT (0843 HKT) January 13, 2023

A neighborhood is flooded in Merced, California, on Tuesday, January 10.
Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images

California has been struggling with mammoth flooding after being hammered by a cascade of atmospheric rivers — long, narrow regions in the atmosphere that can carry moisture thousands of miles.

At least 18 people have died, neighborhoods have turned into lakes, and countless homes have been destroyed as a string of storms toppled trees and paralyzed communities over the past two weeks.

Because much of the state has been scarred by historic drought or devastating wildfires, California is extremely vulnerable to flooding. The land just can't soak up much rainfall.

Here are some of the stories that made headlines over the past week, as well as some photos that caught our eye.