A powerful winter storm swept across California on Wednesday, bringing heavy rain, gusty winds, and evacuation warnings for mudslides in the south, as well as near white-out snow conditions in the mountains and hazardous travel for millions of holiday drivers.
Much of California is Under Weather Warnings
Forecasters said Southern California could see its wettest Christmas in years, warning of flash flooding and mudslides. Areas scorched by January’s wildfires were under evacuation warnings, and Los Angeles County officials ordered residents to evacuate about 380 especially vulnerable homes on Tuesday.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department also issued an evacuation warning Wednesday morning for the community of Wrightwood, a mountain resort town about 130 kilometres northeast of Los Angeles, due to potential mud and debris flows from the storm. Debris and mud was seen rushing down the road leading into Wrightwood in a social media video posted by county fire officials. Crews were working to evacuate some homes.
Areas along the coast, including Malibu, were under flood warnings Wednesday. Much of the Sacramento Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area were also under wind and flood advisories.
Early Wednesday, the Los Angeles Fire Department rescued a man trapped in a drainage tunnel in northwest LA that led down to a river. No injuries were reported, but the man is being evaluated.
Several roadways across the regions were closed due to flooding.
Conditions could worsen as multiple atmospheric rivers move across the state during one of the busiest travel weeks of the year. The storm in Los Angeles was expected to strengthen Wednesday afternoon before tapering off later in the evening.
James Dangerfield, an 84-year-old Altadena resident, said his family and neighbour helped place sandbags in his backyard earlier this week. His neighborhood was under a flash flood warning Wednesday morning, but he wasn’t too worried. He and his wife, Stephanie, planned on staying in the house and spending Christmas Eve with their two adult daughters and grandchildren.
Mike Burdick, who takes care of his elderly parents in Altadena, ran out to buy more sandbags Wednesday morning when he saw that the pool was already overflowing. His parents live just a block under the Eaton Fire burn scars.
The family was prepared to evacuate with a week’s worth of essentials for the family, including for their dog and cat. They’re planning to attend a nearby holiday party in the evening.
Southern California typically gets half an inch to an inch of rain this time of year, but this week many areas could see between four and eight inches, U.S. National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Wofford said. It could be even more in the mountains.
Forecasters also warned that heavy snow and gusts were expected to create “near white-out conditions” in parts of the Sierra Nevada and make it “nearly impossible” to travel through the mountain passes. As of Wednesday morning, there was also a “considerable” avalanche risk around Lake Tahoe, according to the Sierra Avalanche Center.
The National Weather Service said a winter storm warning would be in effect for the Greater Tahoe Region until Friday morning.
In Monterey along the central coast, wind gusts reportedly reached 60 mph. More than 5,000 people lost power Tuesday night due to a damaged power pole, according to Pacific Gas and Electric Co.
California Highway Patrol was also investigating a seemingly weather-related fatal crash Wednesday morning south of Sacramento. The driver reportedly traveled at an unsafe speed, lost control of their vehicle on the wet roads and crashed into a metal power pole.
San Francisco and Los Angeles airports reported some minor flight delays Wednesday morning.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday declared a state of emergency in six counties to allow state assistance in storm response.
Atmospheric rivers transport moisture from the tropics to northern latitudes in long, narrow bands of water vapor that form over an ocean and flow through the sky.
The storm has already caused damage in Northern California, where flash flooding led to water rescues and at least one death, authorities said. The state has deployed emergency resources and first responders to several coastal and Southern California counties, and the California National Guard remains on standby.
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