Heavy rainfall doused the Los Angeles area on Christmas Eve, forcing evacuations and leaving some residents in need of rescue as the water rose.
The region woke up to a wet and windy Christmas morning with more rain on the forecast after 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 aswater pouring off of commercial buildings.
In San Bernardino County, the Fire Protection Districtsaid overnightthat 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.
Avideo the county shared onlineshowed 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 in Victorville Fairgrounds Wednesday night, according to the county'sOffice of Emergency Services.
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 Serviceswrote in an X posturging "all Californians to stay prepared."
About150,000 customers in Californiahad 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 Northern and Central 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 rock slides and mud slides.
A portion of southwestern California, including Ventura County and Los Angeles County, is also under a wind advisory, which warns of winds of 20 to 35 mph with gusts 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 hadaffected some highway routesin the Los Angeles and Ventura counties as a result of storms, and the lanes on Northbound I-5 at Lankershim Blvd were temporarily blocked due to 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, across the continent, the NWS expects snow to develop over parts of the Northeast on Thursday, with moderate to heavy snow hitting New England 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 stated.
