Residents across California are preparing for a second, life-threatening onslaught of floods after roads transformed into raging rivers and mudslides swallowed homes on Christmas Day. The festive period has been utterly washed out for the Golden State, with meteorologists forecasting a relentless deluge.
State of Emergency Declared as Storms Intensify
Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in six counties: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Shasta. This move unlocks state resources as winds and rain continue to intensify. The crisis has already left a severe mark, with 160,000 homes without power on Christmas morning, according to data from PowerOutage.com. Hundreds of residents have been forced to evacuate their properties.
Officials have issued stark warnings to holiday travellers, urging them to avoid roads due to the series of punishing winter storms. These systems are not only bringing flash flooding but also the risk of tornadoes. The storms, which began moving in late on Tuesday evening, were expected to grow stronger throughout Christmas Day.
Communities Isolated and Homes Engulfed
In San Bernardino County, firefighters performed dramatic rescues on Wednesday, pulling people from cars trapped by mud and debris rushing down a road into Wrightwood. The exact number rescued is not yet clear. Fire crews also conducted door-to-door checks in areas under shelter-in-place orders.
The situation in mountain communities is particularly dire. An evacuation order was issued for Lytle Creek, where resident Travis Guenther and his family became trapped after roaring waters destroyed the only bridge in or out. "Everybody that left to go to work this morning is stuck," Guenther said, describing how families were separated by the impassable creek.
Areas like Altadena, still bearing the scars from January's wildfires, are especially vulnerable. Residents there had only just begun to rebuild when the floods struck their partially-constructed homes. The fire-ravaged land, stripped of vegetation, cannot absorb water effectively, leading to faster runoff and greater danger.
A Desperate Struggle for Supplies and Safety
Individual stories of hardship are emerging from the chaos. Dillan Brown, his wife, and 14-month-old daughter were stranded in a rented cabin in Wrightwood with almost no food and dwindling diapers. After a resident posted a plea for help on Facebook, neighbours responded within an hour, delivering bread, vegetables, milk, and essential supplies.
"I think we're a little sad and upset that we're not going to be home with our families," Brown said, but he called the community's kindness "an overwhelming feeling."
The meteorological cause is a potent atmospheric river, funnelling massive plumes of moisture from the tropics during one of the year's busiest travel weeks. Mike Wofford, a National Weather Service meteorologist, noted that Southern California typically sees half an inch to an inch of rain at this time of year, but many areas could now receive between 4 and 8 inches, with even higher totals in the mountains.
The storms' impact is widespread:
- Parts of Interstate 5 near Burbank Airport closed due to flooding.
- Flood warnings were in effect for coastal areas like Malibu until Wednesday evening.
- The Sierra Nevada saw heavy snow creating 'near white-out conditions'.
- A 'considerable' avalanche risk was reported around Lake Tahoe.
Tragically, the severe weather appears to have contributed to a fatal crash south of Sacramento, claiming the life of a sheriff's deputy with 19 years of service.
With a 'clipper' weather system set to bring more rain and snow to the West Coast and Midwest, California's battle with these relentless Christmas storms is far from over.
