Atmospheric rivers drench California with record Christmas rains, deadly flooding and ongoing surf and avalanche risks
A series of atmospheric rivers drenched California with record Christmas rains, producing deadly flooding and mudslides that have killed at least three people, forced rooftop and road rescues, prompted evacuations in mountain and burn‑scar communities such as Wrightwood and Lytle Creek, knocked out power for roughly 150,000 people, and closed roads and airport approaches. State and local officials have declared emergencies, pre‑positioned resources and placed the National Guard on standby as forecasters warn of more heavy rain (many areas 4–8 inches, higher in the mountains), huge surf (waves up to 25 feet) and considerable avalanche risk in the Sierra Nevada, urging residents to avoid travel and heed evacuation orders.
đź“Ś Key Facts
- A series of atmospheric rivers drenched California over Christmas, producing record/wettest conditions in places (downtown Los Angeles saw its wettest Christmas season in 54 years) and forecasters warn more heavy rain and additional storms are likely through Friday.
- Southern California, which normally gets about 0.5–1 inch of rain this time of year, could receive 4–8 inches in many areas this week (with even higher totals in the mountains); forecasters also expected an additional 2–5 inches along the coast as storms continue.
- Flooding and debris flows caused major local impacts: Wrightwood was placed under shelter‑in‑place orders as mud and debris rushed through town; Lytle Creek had an evacuation order after roaring waters washed out the only bridge; rooftop helicopter rescues and firefighter vehicle rescues occurred in San Bernardino County.
- Authorities focused evacuations and protections on burn‑scar areas: about 380 particularly vulnerable households near January wildfire burn scars were being contacted or ordered to evacuate, K‑rails and free sandbags were deployed, and residents from Airport Fire burn‑scar zones were ordered to evacuate.
- State and local response measures included Gov. Gavin Newsom declaring emergencies in six counties, pre‑positioning state resources, deploying first responders, and placing the California National Guard on standby.
- Storm impacts included widespread outages and travel disruption: roughly 150,000–158,000 homes and businesses lost power, multiple road closures (including part of I‑5 near Burbank Airport), and officials urged residents to reconsider Christmas road travel due to increasingly dangerous conditions.
- Severe wind, surf and mountain hazards accompanied the rain: wind gusts have exceeded 60 mph (with 60–80 mph forecast in parts of the central coast), waves up to 25 feet were warned near the San Francisco Bay Area, and the Sierra Nevada saw heavy snow, near white‑out conditions and a considerable avalanche danger around Lake Tahoe under winter storm warnings.
- At least two storm‑related deaths were reported — including a Sacramento sheriff’s deputy who died in an apparent weather‑related crash and a San Diego man killed by a falling tree — while earlier reports had indicated a higher death toll as emergency assessments continued.
đź“Š Relevant Data
In Los Angeles County, non-Hispanic Black residents are 79% more likely to be exposed to dangerous flooding than non-Hispanic White residents.
Large and inequitable flood risks in Los Angeles, California — Nature Sustainability
In Los Angeles County, Hispanic residents are 17% more likely to be exposed to dangerous flooding than non-Hispanic White residents.
Large and inequitable flood risks in Los Angeles, California — Nature Sustainability
In Los Angeles County, non-Hispanic Asian residents are 11% more likely to be exposed to dangerous flooding than non-Hispanic White residents.
Large and inequitable flood risks in Los Angeles, California — Nature Sustainability
In wildfire-affected areas of Los Angeles County, Latino neighborhoods experience nearly double the exposure to diesel and PM2.5 pollution compared to White neighborhoods, exacerbating health risks during events that lead to post-fire flooding.
Wildfires and Latino Communities: Health, Economic, and Preparedness Challenges — UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Institute
đź“° Sources (6)
Rain-soaked California still faces risk of floods and high surf
New information:
- National Weather Service warns of waves up to 25 feet near the San Francisco Bay Area on Friday, along with flood risk in parts of Southern California and avalanche danger in the Sierra Nevada including the Lake Tahoe area.
- Residents of Wrightwood, a mountain town of about 5,000 northeast of Los Angeles, were told to be ready to evacuate due to mudslides; roads were covered in rocks, debris and thick mud and power was out, with more than 150 firefighters pre-positioned.
- Gov. Gavin Newsom declared emergencies in six counties, deployed state resources and first responders to several coastal and Southern California counties, and placed the California National Guard on standby.
- The system produced the wettest Christmas season in 54 years in downtown Los Angeles, with many Southern California areas forecast to receive 4–8 inches of rain this week compared with a typical 0.5–1 inch for this time of year.
- At least two storm-related deaths were reported: a San Diego man killed by a falling tree and a Sacramento sheriff’s deputy who died in an apparent weather-related crash.
Torrential rains drench Southern California with more storms on the way
New information:
- Confirms at least three deaths from the storm, including a sheriff's deputy, during the Christmas Day flooding in California.
- Details a rooftop helicopter rescue of a family trapped by floodwaters in San Bernardino County, including eyewitness video from neighbor Tim Needham.
- Reports a shelter-in-place warning for residents who did not evacuate Wrightwood, a ski town in the San Bernardino Mountains, as muddy waters flow through town.
- Provides on-the-ground quote from Orange County Public Works official Shannon Widor explaining increased mudslide risk in steep canyon burn-scar areas where water cannot saturate the ground.
- Notes Northern California was also hit with heavy rains, wind, mudslides and 'huge amounts of snow' blanketing the Sierra Nevadas.
- States that the atmospheric river knocked out power for nearly 150,000 people earlier in the day.
- Adds that the storm produced a record-setting Christmas Day for rain in California and that more heavy rain is expected tomorrow.
More severe holiday weather in store for a soaked California
New information:
- CBS cites weather producer Elis Morrison forecasting 'additional on-and-off heavy downpours' through Friday, with 2–5 more inches of rain along the California coast.
- A flood watch is in effect through Friday along the California coast from the Oregon border to Los Angeles and in central California, and Southern California could see its wettest Christmas in years.
- San Bernardino County firefighters rescued people trapped in cars near Wrightwood after mud and debris surged down a road; the town is under a shelter-in-place order and nearby Lytle Creek is under an evacuation order.
- Roughly 158,000 homes and businesses statewide lost power overnight, according to Find Energy, and sections of Interstate 5 near Burbank Airport were closed due to flooding.
- Heavy snow and gusty winds are creating 'near white-out conditions' in parts of the Sierra Nevada with a 'considerable' avalanche risk around Lake Tahoe and a winter storm warning in effect until Friday.
- Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in six counties and deployed state emergency resources; the California National Guard is on standby.
- The California Highway Patrol reports a Sacramento County sheriff’s deputy, James Caravallo, died in an apparent weather-related crash after losing control on a wet road and hitting a power pole.
Storm system threatens more rainfall Christmas Day over waterlogged Southern California
New information:
- Storm system that hit Southern California has begun to taper off, but forecasters warn of another storm on Christmas Day with showers and possible thunderstorms that could make it the region's wettest Christmas in years.
- San Bernardino County firefighters rescued people trapped in cars near Wrightwood when mud and debris rushed down a road into the resort town; officials issued a shelter‑in‑place order and conducted door‑to‑door checks.
- An evacuation order was issued for Lytle Creek, where roaring waters washed out the only bridge in or out, trapping roughly half of the community's residents and forcing some to shelter at a community center or hotels.
- Residents in burn‑scar zones from the Airport Fire in Orange County were ordered to evacuate, while coastal areas including Malibu were under flood warnings and multiple roads, including part of Interstate 5 near Burbank Airport, were closed due to flooding.
- National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Wofford said Southern California normally gets 0.5–1 inch of rain at this time of year, but many areas could see 4–8 inches this week, with even higher totals in the mountains due to multiple atmospheric rivers.
California's powerful winter storm threatens homes and holiday travel
New information:
- NWS meteorologist Ariel Cohen in Los Angeles urged residents at a Tuesday news conference to reconsider Christmas road travel, warning of increasingly dangerous and life‑threatening conditions as storms intensify into Christmas Eve.
- Wind gusts have already exceeded 60 mph in Los Angeles County, knocking down trees and power lines, with forecasts of 60–80 mph gusts on parts of the central coast.
- Southern California, which normally sees 0.5–1 inch of rain this time of year, could receive 4–8 inches in many areas this week, with even higher totals in the mountains.
- Los Angeles County officials are door‑knocking about 380 particularly vulnerable households near January wildfire burn scars to urge or order evacuation, and have deployed K‑rails and free sandbags to protect homes.
- State and local authorities have pre‑positioned resources and have the California National Guard on standby to assist, while officials warn of multiple road closures and airport delays as the storms progress.
- In Northern California, much of the Sacramento Valley and San Francisco Bay Area are under flood watches as the same storm system moves through.