What should have been a calm Christmas week in California turned chaotic.
Relentless storms battered the state, triggering floods, mudslides, and heartbreaking loss.
By Christmas night, at least three people were dead — and the worst may not be over.
So how bad did it get? In parts of Los Angeles County, more than 11 inches of rain poured down in a matter of days.
Roads vanished under water. Hillsides gave way. Emergency crews raced to pull people from stranded cars as floodwaters surged.
Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency across Los Angeles and several southern counties, while roughly 100,000 residents were left without power.
Weather experts aren’t sugarcoating it. The US Weather Prediction Center warned of “numerous flash flooding events.”
Adding that rising streams could spill into larger rivers. Translation? This storm still has plenty of punch.
Storms Leave Deadly Toll
The human toll has been sobering. A 64-year-old man in San Diego was killed when a tree collapsed.
A 74-year-old man drowned in floodwaters while police tried to rescue him from his car in Redding.
And earlier in the week, a woman in her 70s was swept into the ocean by powerful waves along the northern coast.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass urged caution during the busy holiday travel period. “Please do not take this storm lightly,” she warned.
Fueled by powerful atmospheric rivers dragging tropical moisture north, the storms are a harsh reminder.
When nature decides to show up uninvited, even a holiday can’t stop it.
