Los Angeles, Dec. 24 — Torrential rainfall swept across Southern California on Wednesday, triggering widespread flash flooding and mudflows as authorities urged motorists to stay off the roads and residents in high-risk areas to evacuate or shelter in place.
In the mountain community of Wrightwood, located east of Los Angeles, emergency crews responded to dozens of rescue calls throughout the day. Drivers were pulled to safety from flooded vehicles, according to San Bernardino County Fire Department spokesperson Christopher Prater. No casualties had been reported as of Wednesday night.
Aerial footage released by the fire department showed mud torrents flowing through flooded cabin neighborhoods, highlighting the severity of the situation.
The intense rainfall, reaching one inch or more per hour in some locations, was driven by a powerful atmospheric river system—a massive flow of moisture originating from the Pacific Ocean and moving inland across the greater Los Angeles area.
The Christmas Eve storm was forecast to continue through Friday, creating hazardous travel conditions during what is typically a busy holiday period. The U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) warned that life-threatening conditions were expected to persist through Christmas Day, with flash flooding already underway in many areas.
A flash flood warning remained in effect across much of Los Angeles County until 6:00 p.m. PST, with officials advising motorists not to travel unless evacuating flooded areas.
City officials ordered evacuations for approximately 130 homes in parts of Pacific Palisades, where terrain destabilized by last year’s wildfires increased the risk of mudslides and debris flows.
In San Bernardino County, authorities initially issued an evacuation warning for Wrightwood but later upgraded it to a shelter-in-place order as conditions worsened. Portions of the Angeles Crest Highway were closed due to flooding.
The storm also brought strong, gusty winds, downing trees and power lines, while heavy snowfall was expected in higher elevations of the Sierra Mountains. Meteorologists reported 4 to 8 inches of rain in some foothill regions by mid-morning, with forecasts predicting more than a foot of rain in certain mountain areas by the end of the week.
Forecasters even issued a rare tornado warning for a small section of east-central Los Angeles County amid intense thunderstorm activity.
Although rainfall eased Wednesday night, a second wave of the storm system was expected to impact the region on Thursday.