Heavy Rain, Flash Floods Hit California

AFP/APP

Los Angeles: Torrential rains triggered flash floods and debris-flow warnings across Southern California’s fire-scarred regions as a series of Christmas storms battered the state, with heavy downpours and strong winds forecast to continue through Friday.

Driven by an atmospheric river known as the “Pineapple Express,” which carries moisture from Hawaii to the US West Coast, the storms are expected to dump months’ worth of rain across California within just a few days.

Early Thursday, the National Weather Service (NWS) warned that Southern California, including Los Angeles — the second-most populous city in the United States — faced a high risk of excessive rainfall.

The NWS cautioned of a “broad plume of moisture” producing heavy rain statewide.

“Numerous flash flooding events are possible. In addition, many streams may flood, potentially affecting larger rivers. The flooding may include debris flows in or near recently burned areas,” the service said, referring to wildfire-hit zones.

Rain was forecast to continue through Friday. Although some areas experienced a brief break in rainfall on Thursday, forecasters warned that winds could reach gusts of up to 55 miles per hour (88.5 kilometers per hour).

State authorities declared a state of emergency in several counties, including Los Angeles.

“We’re not out of it yet. Rain continues to fall across LA County, making roadways, waterways and flood channels extremely dangerous. Check conditions before venturing out today,” Los Angeles County officials said in a post on X.

Rescue Work Underway

Heavy rain began lashing Southern California on Wednesday, with some communities already recording up to 10 inches (25.4 centimeters) of rainfall during the first storm, forecasters said.

At least three people were killed in storm-related incidents, including a man who died after a tree fell on him, the Los Angeles Times reported.

In San Bernardino County, east of Los Angeles, authorities said efforts were underway Thursday to divert floodwaters.

Muddy torrents flowed through the mountain town of Wrightwood a day earlier, trapping residents inside their homes, said Christopher Prater, spokesperson for the county fire department.

“Fire department personnel were out there rescuing people, assisting them from their houses, getting them to safety, as well as rescuing people stranded in their vehicles,” Prater said, adding that operations continued overnight.

Areas scarred by wildfires — where vegetation loss limits water absorption — remained under special alert. These included coastal communities such as Pacific Palisades and Malibu, still recovering from devastating wildfires earlier this year.

In Northern California, forecasters tracked a dangerous storm developing early Thursday in the San Francisco Bay Area, prompting flash flood emergency alerts, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Shortly after noon Thursday (2000 GMT), the NWS office in San Francisco warned that a severe thunderstorm near Santa Cruz could potentially spawn a tornado.

Meanwhile, the weather service also predicted that a winter storm could bring heavy snowfall to the Sierra Nevada Mountains along California’s eastern border.