Governor Gavin Newsom has proclaimed a state of emergency for Los Angeles and five other California counties as a massive “atmospheric river” hammers the state with life-threatening floods. The holiday storm has transformed major boulevards into fast-flowing rivers, uprooted trees, and triggered a wave of emergency evacuations on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued its highest level of alert, warning that “lives and property are in great danger” from widespread flash flooding, rockslides, and mudslides.
Emergency response and evacuations
The deluge has forced hundreds of families to flee their homes as authorities struggle to contain the rising water.
State of Emergency: Includes Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Shasta counties.
Evacuations: Over 380 homes in high-risk burn scars—including those from January’s Palisades and Eaton fires—received immediate evacuation orders. Residents in Santa Monica, Malibu, and Pacific Palisades remain on the highest alert.
Rescues: Firefighters have performed hundreds of swift-water rescues, primarily for motorists trapped in vehicles on flooded motorways.
Infrastructure: Thousands remain without power in Los Angeles as 80 km/h (50 mph) winds continue to topple power lines and trees.
A “once-in-five-year” storm
Meteorologists describe the event as a rare and dangerous corridor of tropical moisture. Southern California, which typically sees less than an inch of rain this time of year, is bracing for up to 8 inches (200 mm) by the end of the week.
The Sierra Nevada range has already recorded 30 cm (12 inches) of snow, with further heavy falls expected through Friday, December 26. In Los Angeles, the city’s 3.9 million residents have been warned to stay off the roads as major arteries like the 134 Freeway and La Cienega Boulevard face closures due to debris and mudflows.
Scientists note that human-induced climate change is making these “atmospheric river” events increasingly frequent and destructive. Reception centres have opened across the city to house those displaced by the wettest Christmas in Southern California’s recent memory.
(information from in.gr)
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