Heavy rainfall doused the Los Angeles area on Christmas Eve, forcing evacuations and leaving some residents in need of rescue amid rising waters.
The region woke up to a wet and windy Christmas morning, with more rain in the forecast following a deluge that led California Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency.
Videos from Los Angeles showed highways flooded with water, mud and debris, as well as water pouring off of commercial buildings.
In San Bernardino County, the local fire protection district said overnight that more than 120 personnel would continue to assist residents who need help evacuating.
“San Bernardino County Fire is devastated that many families are unable to be home together this Christmas due to the ongoing impacts of this incident,” local authorities wrote on X.
A video the county shared online showed homes in Wrightwood, California, hit by watery mudslides on Wednesday. Crews conducted door-to-door checks urging residents in danger zones to evacuate, while rescuing people trapped in vehicles or water. A new shelter for evacuees opened at the fairgrounds in Victorville on Wednesday night, according to the county’s Office of Emergency Services.
The severe weather resulted in at least two deaths on Wednesday.
A San Diego man in his 60s or 70s died after going into cardiac arrest when a tree splintered and a large branch fell on him, NBC San Diego reported.
The man, Roberto Ruiz, was planning to celebrate Christmas Eve with family at his house, according to Zenaida Rodriguez, who identified herself as the victim’s daughter-in-law. She said Ruiz had gone outside to move his car when he was hit by the branch.
“This is a father, a grandpa — my son’s 2-and-a-half, my daughter’s 15,” Rodriguez told NBC San Diego. “How do you go home on Christmas Eve and tell your kids that their grandpa’s dead?”
And in Sacramento County, sheriff’s deputy James Caravallo died in what appeared to be a weather-related crash while driving to work, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.
“Deputy Caravallo was a dedicated employee who proudly served our agency for 19 years,” the office wrote in an X post.
Newsom has declared a state of emergency for the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Shasta, activating emergency authorities in anticipation of atmospheric rivers, intense rainfall and strong winds.
“High winds can act as a catalyst, setting in motion a series of events that could lead to disasters,” the state’s Office of Emergency Services wrote in an X post urging “all Californians to stay prepared.”
About 150,000 customers in California had no power on Thursday morning.
On Thursday, the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center warned of a moderate risk of excessive rainfall over parts of Southern California from Christmas into Friday morning, with flash flooding possible. A slight risk of excessive rainfall was expected to develop over the northern and central regions of California as well as parts of southern Nevada on Thursday.
Areas stretching from San Luis Obispo County to Los Angeles County remain under a flood advisory Thursday morning, according to the NWS. Though the rain is expected to weaken on Thursday, residual flooding is likely to continue into the night, with an ongoing threat of rockslides and mudslides.
A portion of Southern California, including Ventura County and Los Angeles County, is also under a wind advisory, which warns of winds of 20-35 mph with gusts of up to 55 mph. Until 3 p.m. local time, the NWS cautions, the rain-soaked soil will heighten the risk of trees falling, and the strong winds will make driving more difficult as well.
As of Wednesday night, lane closures resulting from storms had affected some highway routes in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, and the lanes on northbound I-5 at Lankershim Boulevard were temporarily blocked by debris. In Northern California early Thursday morning, the state’s Department of Transportation closed State Route 99 from Garden Brook Drive to Keefer Road due to flooding.
The closures came after Wednesday’s heavy rain triggered flood alerts for more than 40 million people on Christmas Eve, including most of California, as well as parts of southern Nevada and western Arizona.
On Friday, the NWS said, heavy rain is expected to continue over California, with a slight risk of excessive rainfall from Friday into Saturday morning. This may create localized areas of flash flooding, particularly in urban areas, near small streams and in regions burned in previous fires.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, the NWS expects snow to develop over parts of the Northeast on Thursday, with moderate to heavy snow hitting New England on Friday into Saturday morning.
“An icy wintry mix of freezing rain and sleet will cause hazardous travel conditions from Michigan eastward across much of Pennsylvania and into the Mid-Atlantic,” the NWS said.
