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Torrential Christmas storms battered California, triggering flash flood and debris flow warnings across fire-scarred areas of the south on Thursday, with heavy rain and strong winds expected to persist through Friday.
Early Thursday, the National Weather Service (NWS) forecasted that Southern California, including Los Angeles, the second-most populous city in the US, was at risk of excessive rainfall.
It warned of a “broad plume of moisture” that would produce heavy rain in California on Thursday.
“Numerous flash flooding events are possible. Additionally, many streams may flood, potentially impacting larger rivers. The flooding may include debris flows in or near recently burnt areas,” the service said, referring to areas affected by wildfires.
Although there was a break in the rain in parts of Southern California on Thursday before more wet weather was expected, the NWS warned that some areas could see winds with gusts of up to 55 miles per hour (88.5 kilometres per hour).
State authorities have declared a state of emergency in several counties, including Los Angeles.
“We’re not out of it yet. Rain continues to fall across LA County, making roadways, waterways and flood channels extremely dangerous. Check conditions before venturing out today,” Los Angeles County officials said on X (formerly Twitter).
In San Bernardino County, adjacent to Los Angeles, authorities told AFP they were working to divert the flow of floodwater.
Muddy water streamed through the mountain town of Wrightwood a day earlier, trapping people in their homes, said Christopher Prater, spokesperson for the county fire department.
“Fire department personnel were out there rescuing people, assisting them from their houses, and getting them to safety, also while conducting rescues for people that were stranded in their vehicles,” he said, with work going on into the night.
Fire-burn scar zones, which are less able to absorb water due to the stripping of vegetation, were under special alert, including the coastal areas of Pacific Palisades and Malibu, both of which are still recovering from devastating wildfires in January.
The service has also predicted that a winter storm could bring heavy snowfall to the Sierra Nevada Mountains along California’s eastern border.
