California with flooding rains
A strong winter storm is pummeling Southern California with flooding rains, triggering evacuation orders in the Los Angeles area and leaving nearly 42 million under flood watches.
In late December 2025, a powerful atmospheric river pummeled Southern California, triggering widespread flash flooding, mudslides, and mandatory evacuation orders during the Christmas holiday.
Storm Impact and Flooding
Emergency Declarations: Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Shasta counties.
Rainfall Extremes: Some mountain areas in L.A. County recorded over 11 inches of rain by Wednesday night, December 24.
Infrastructure Damage: Sections of California State Route 138 washed away, and major thoroughfares like Interstate 5 and the Angeles Crest Highway faced closures due to debris and flooding.
Power Outages: Tens of thousands of homes across the region lost power as the storm intensified.
Evacuation Orders and Warnings
Los Angeles County: Authorities issued over 380 evacuation orders for vulnerable homes, particularly in burn scar areas like Pacific Palisades, Altadena, and Mandeville Canyon.
San Bernardino County: Mandatory evacuations were issued for Lytle Creek, while a shelter-in-place order was enacted for the resort town of Wrightwood after mud and debris trapped residents in their vehicles.
Orange County: Evacuation orders were issued for communities near the Airport Fire burn scar, including Trabuco Creek and Bell Canyon.
Ventura County: The Ventura Beach RV Resort was placed under a mandatory evacuation order.
Rescue and Casualties
Water Rescues: Swift water teams rescued individuals stranded by rising waters in Simi Valley and northwest Los Angeles.
Fatalities: At least three deaths have been reported as a result of the storm's impact as of December 25, 2025.
Check current alerts via the National Weather Service or local emergency sites like Ready LA County for real-time updates.
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