Mudslides buried cars and homes up to their windows in a mountain town in California, where a powerful storm brought decades of Christmas rain to the southern part of the state.
As much as 12 inches of rain fell on the area, causing flooding and washing out roads, the National Weather Service reported Wednesday.
Local authorities issued an evacuation warning for the city of Wrightwood, California, which has a population of just under 5,000 people and is located 80 miles (130 kilometers) northeast of Los Angeles, where pictures showed mud and debris sweeping through homes and vehicles. San Bernardino County Fire Department He mentioned Thursday night One person was injured in the slide, but weather conditions were expected to improve and there was no ongoing safety threat.
The town remained under an evacuation warning Friday morning with some surrounding roads closed, according to the county’s emergency service system.
The storms, caused by atmospheric rivers carrying plumes of moisture from the tropics, struck during one of the busiest travel weeks of the year. The heavy rainfall was also a stark change from last winter, when Extremely dry year It created conditions for the rapid spread of devastating forest fires throughout the region.
The system brought the wettest Christmas season to downtown Los Angeles in 54 years, the National Weather Service said.
At least three people have died since the storms began earlier this week. A motorist died in the city of Redding, Northern California, after becoming trapped in his car during a flood. To the south, Sacramento’s deputy mayor He died What appears to be a weather-related accident. And in San Diego there is a man He was reportedly killed By a falling tree.
In Wrightwood, the storm caused power outages and left a gas station and cafe running on generators to serve as a hub for residents and visitors.
“It’s a really crazy Christmas,” said Jill Jenkins, who was spending the holiday with her 13-year-old grandson, Hunter Lopiccolo.
The family was almost evacuated the day before, when water washed away part of their backyard, but they decided to stay and still celebrated the holiday, Lopiccolo said. Lopiccolo got a new skateboard and e-bike.
“We played card games all night with candles and flashlights,” he said.
Davey Schneider walked a mile and a half (2.4 kilometers) through rain and flood water up to his legs from his Wrightwood residence on Wednesday to rescue cats from his grandfather’s house.
“I wanted to help them because I wasn’t sure they would survive,” Schneider said Thursday. “Fortunately, they’re all alive. They’re all fine – just a little scared.”
Arlene Corti said that the roads in the town turned into rivers, but her house was not damaged.
“It could be a lot worse,” she said. “We’re here talking.”
With more rain on the way, more than 150 firefighters were stationed in the area, said Sean Melrick, spokesman for the San Bernardino County Fire Department.
“We are ready,” he said. “It’s all hands on deck at this point.”
Areas along the coast, including Malibu, were under a flood watch as of Friday afternoon, and wind and flood warnings were issued for much of the Sacramento Valley and San Francisco Bay Area.
Southern California typically receives 1.3 to 2.5 inches of rain this time of year, but this week many areas could see between 4 and 8 inches, with more in the mountains, said Mike Wofford, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
More winds and heavy snow were expected in the Sierra Nevada, where storm surges created “near-whiteout conditions” and made mountain passes dangerous.
Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in six counties to allow for state aid.
The state deployed resources and first responders to several coastal counties and Southern California, and the California National Guard was on standby.