Officials in California distributed sandbags, prepositioned rescue swimmers and told residents to have their go-bags ready as the state prepares for an atmospheric river that could bring heavy rain, winds and flooding Thursday to areas ravaged by wildfires.

California is about to get soaked, whipped and dumped on again. A robust storm system will sweep in from Wednesday night into Friday, bringing the threat of strong winds, heavy rain or snow to every part of the state.