At least two dead in mudslides and flooding in Southern California during Christmas
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A powerful atmospheric river storm swept across Southern California over the Christmas holiday, unleashing widespread flooding, mudslides and power outages, and leaving at least two people dead, according to local officials.
The storm is reported to be one of several heavy rain systems hitting the state during the third week of December. It delivered torrential rain and strong winds from the San Gabriel Mountains to the Los Angeles Basin.
Forecasters warned the region could experience its wettest Christmas in years, with rainfall totals reaching 10 to 20 centimetres in many areas and even higher amounts in the mountains.
According to the BBC, the storms — which persisted into Friday December 26 — brought about 6 inches (15 cm) of rain across Los Angeles County, with mountain areas seeing totals as high as 18 inches. The weather event triggered evacuations and forced the closure of several major roads.
According to Sky News, The US National Weather Service said "life-threatening atmospheric river conditions" will continue throughout Christmas Day, with a rare "high risk of excessive rainfall" warning remaining in effect.
Global News referred to San Bernardino County firefighters who said they rescued people trapped in cars when mud and debris rushed down a road leading into Wrightwood, a resort town in the San Gabriel Mountains about 130 kilometres northeast of Los Angeles. It was not immediately clear how many people were rescued.
According to according to PowerOutage.us, state wide, more than 120,000 customers lost power as the storm toppled trees and downed power lines, according to outage trackers. A man in San Diego was killed when a tree fell during high winds, while a Sacramento County sheriff’s deputy died in what authorities described as a weather‑related crash south of the state capitalGlobal News.
Evacuation orders were issued for neighbourhoods near recent wildfire burn scars in Orange County, Los Angeles County and Ventura County, where bare hillsides are highly vulnerable to debris flows. Officials warned that saturated ground could trigger additional slides as more rain arrives later in the week.
Emergency crews responded to dozens of calls for rescues as vehicles became stranded in rising water and debris flows swept through neighbourhoods.
California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in six counties, mobilizing state resources and placing the California National Guard on standby as additional storms were forecasted to approach the region later this week.
Further reading:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1lr3p7n87yo.amp
https://globalnews.ca/news/11591023/atmospheric-river-flooding-southern-california/
https://usa.inquirer.net/186240/first-wave-of-atmospheric-river-drenches-southern-california