Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency across multiple Southern California counties as a powerful storm system batters the region on Christmas Day, bringing historic flooding, dangerous mudslides, and forcing widespread evacuations.
Nearly 28 million people are under flood watches as atmospheric rivers continue to pummel the state, with the National Weather Service issuing a "moderate" Level 3 of 4 risk of excessive rainfall for much of Southern California, including the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
The storm has already dumped up to 10 inches of rain in mountain areas and up to 5 inches elsewhere, accompanied by wind gusts reaching 80 mph. San Francisco International Airport recorded a wind gust of 72 mph, while higher elevations experienced gusts up to 90 mph.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also declared a local emergency to mobilize city resources and access state and federal assistance. Officials are particularly concerned about recently burned areas, including the Airport, Bridge, Line, Palisades, and Eaton Fire burn scars, which face an increased threat of mudslides and debris flows.
Flash flood warnings were issued across the San Francisco Bay Area as unusually potent thunderstorms moved through the region early Christmas morning. Locations experiencing flash flooding include Ojai, Rose Valley, Meiners Oaks, and areas along Highway 33.
A Sacramento County Sheriff's Deputy tragically died after crashing on a wet roadway south of Sacramento just before 6 a.m. Californians are being urged to avoid flooded roadways and follow guidance from emergency officials.
In a silver lining, ski resorts are benefiting from the storm, with Heavenly receiving 28 inches of snow, Northstar 38 inches, and Kirkwood 33 inches over the past 48 hours.
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