Storms cause power outages in California and north-east

Over 400,000 customers are without power in the US, after bicoastal storms brought rain, snow, flooding and high winds.

Overflowing rivers and mudslides roiled California, where 40 of the state's 58 counties had been under a state of emergency.

Up to three feet of snow have fallen in some parts of New York, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

Storms on both coasts eased Wednesday morning but the damage remains.

The storm sweeping along the north-east brought mounds of snow, downed power lines and toppled trees - one of which nearly flattened a parked car in the Bronx - and had winds recorded over 40mph (64km/h). Hundreds of schools and businesses in the region were closed.

New York State and multiple counties in New Jersey issued states of emergency.

In Derry, New Hampshire, a child was struck and pinned down beneath a snow-covered tree knocked over by fierce winds, the Derry Fire Department said in a Facebook post. Through a mix of chainsaws and shovels, "16 firefighters and three police officers worked for 19 minutes to free the child from underneath the tree", the department said. The child was transported to a hospital in an ambulance and sustained minor injuries.

On the west coast, where a series of storms have barraged the Sunshine State since the start of the new year, saturated soils have created hazardous conditions for residents.

A mudslide in Placer County caused severe damage to a home sunken nearly to its roof in mud, according to the local fire department.

In San Francisco, one of the city's largest public transportation lines suffered widespread delays, a spokesperson told CNN.

California is experiencing its 11th atmospheric river since December, a weather phenomenon where water evaporates into the air and is carried along by the wind, forming long currents that flow in the sky like rivers flow on land causing heavy downpours.

Toward its peak, more than 360,000 residents were without power as the sun began to set on Tuesday evening. Rivers overflowed. Roads were impassable. Workers laboured to repair a recently breached levee in Monterey County, where 21,000 people were under evacuation order.

High winds also plagued the state. Nearly 15 million people were under a high-wind warning in the state as hurricane-force winds in multiple counties exceeded 90mph, CNN reported.

Californians on Wednesday can expect a slight respite, but it will not last long, the National Weather Service warned.

"After this latest high-impact atmospheric river sweeps through California by Wednesday, a few days of relief from any heavy precipitation is expected," the NWS Prediction Center tweeted. "However, the extended range outlook from the Climate Prediction Center forecasts another atmospheric river arriving next week."