A powerful rain and wind storm driven by an atmospheric river from the Pacific has been blamed for a third death in southern California, as flooding, road closures and debris flows disrupt large parts of the region.
A flood watch was extended through Thursday for most of southern California, after more than 11 inches of rain fell in parts of Los Angeles county by Wednesday night. Evacuation warnings were issued for several mountain communities in San Bernardino county.
The US Weather Prediction Center warned of a “moderate risk of excessive rainfall” across the region. Forecasters said numerous flash floods were possible, with rivers and streams at risk of overflowing.
California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles county and several other southern California counties on Wednesday. The declaration cited the heightened risk of flooding and landslides, particularly in areas damaged by last year’s wildfires.
Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass also declared a local emergency. She urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel and to follow official safety guidance, warning people not to underestimate the storm.
In San Bernardino county, authorities upgraded a shelter-in-place order to a full evacuation for the community of Wrightwood on Thursday afternoon, citing the ongoing threat of mud and debris flows.
The storm, which is forecast to continue through the Christmas holiday until Saturday, has already caused widespread disruption. Roads have been closed, freeways flooded and flights delayed across the state.
By Thursday afternoon, more than 102,000 customers were without power in California, according to Poweroutage.com. The largest number of outages was reported in Monterey county, where over 15,000 customers were affected.
One of the fatalities was a 64-year-old man killed in San Diego’s City Heights neighbourhood on Wednesday morning. Police said a 75ft tree fell on him as he stepped outside to move his car. He was later identified by family members as Roberto Ruiz.
In Los Angeles county, a woman was swept nearly nine miles downstream in San Jose Creek before being rescued by fire crews. Authorities said she had already been carried a considerable distance by the time rescuers reached the area.
Evacuation orders were also issued for about 130 homes in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles, where burn scars from last year’s wildfires have made slopes especially vulnerable to mudslides.
Emergency services across Los Angeles responded to multiple incidents. Fire department teams carried out several river rescues, while police attended more than 100 traffic accidents. No traffic-related deaths or injuries were reported.
Crews from the city’s water and power department worked to restore electricity to nearly 8,000 homes. Transport officials also repaired traffic signals and dealt with hundreds of fallen trees and branches.
Residents were advised to collect free sandbags from fire stations, with each household allowed up to 25.
Experts warned that wildfire damage has left soils unable to absorb heavy rainfall. Meteorologists said water now runs quickly over hardened ground, increasing the risk of flooding and debris flows.
Several stretches of the Angeles Crest Highway were closed due to flooding, while rockslides were reported in mountain areas. In a rare move, forecasters issued a tornado warning for part of east-central Los Angeles county after severe thunderstorms developed.
Rainfall eased briefly on Wednesday night, but forecasters warned a second wave of the storm was expected to arrive on Thursday, bringing further heavy rain and strong winds.
