Winter storm floods California with heavy rain, mudslides and whiteout chaos

A powerful winter storm swept across California on Wednesday, with heavy rain and gusty winds leading to evacuation warnings for mudslides in the South, bringing near-white snow conditions to the mountains and dangerous travel for millions of vacationing drivers.

Forecasters said Southern California could experience its wettest Christmas in years, warning of flash floods and mudslides. Areas ravaged by January’s wildfires were under evacuation warnings, and Los Angeles County officials said Tuesday they were going door to door at about 380 particularly vulnerable homes to order residents to evacuate.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department also issued an evacuation warning Wednesday morning for the community of Wrightwood, a resort town in the San Gabriel Mountains about 80 miles (130 kilometers) northeast of Los Angeles, due to possible mudslides and debris from the storm.

Debris and mud were seen rushing onto the road leading to Wrightwood in a social media video posted by county firefighters. Crews were working to evacuate some homes, the post said. County officials did not immediately respond to questions about the evacuation.

Areas along the coast, including Malibu, were under flood warnings Wednesday, local authorities said. Much of the Sacramento Valley and San Francisco Bay Area were also under wind and flood advisories.

Early Wednesday, Los Angeles firefighters rescued a man stuck in a drainage tunnel northwest of Los Angeles that led to a river. No injuries were reported, but the man is being evaluated.

Several roads through the area were closed due to flooding.

Conditions could worsen as several atmospheric rivers pass through the state during one of the busiest travel weeks of the year. The storm in Los Angeles is expected to intensify Wednesday afternoon before easing later in the evening.

James Dangerfield, an 84-year-old Altadena resident, said his family and neighbor helped place sandbags in his yard earlier this week. His neighborhood was under a flash flood warning Wednesday morning, but he wasn’t too worried.

He lives on a hill, so most of the rainwater escapes from there, he said. For now, he and his wife, Stephanie, planned to stay home and spend Christmas Eve with their two adult daughters and grandchildren.

“We’re just going to stay put and everyone will have to come to us. We’re not going anywhere,” he said.

Mike Burdick, who cares for his elderly parents in Altadena, said he ran out to buy more sandbags Wednesday morning when he saw the pool was already overflowing. His parents live within walking distance of the Eaton Fire burn scars, he said.

“I literally woke up to a downpour,” he said.

The family was ready to evacuate with a week’s worth of essentials for the family, including their dog and cat. They plan to attend a nearby holiday party in the evening.

“We’re just going to make an appearance and get back safely to our animals,” he said.

Southern California typically gets between 1.3 and 2.5 centimeters of rain this time of year, but this week many areas could see between four and eight (10 to 20 centimeters), said Mike Wofford, a meteorologist with the U.S. National Weather Service. It could be even more in the mountains.

Much of California is under weather warnings

Forecasters also warned that heavy snow and gusts were expected to create “near whiteout conditions” in parts of the Sierra Nevada and make crossing mountain passes “nearly impossible.” 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 area through Friday morning.

In Monterey, along the central coast, wind gusts were reported to reach 97 mph. More than 5,000 people lost power Tuesday evening due to a damaged power pole, according to Pacific Gas and Electric Co.

The California Highway Patrol was also investigating an apparent weather-related fatal crash Wednesday morning south of Sacramento. The driver allegedly drove at an unsafe speed, lost control of his vehicle on wet roads and crashed into a metal utility pole, CHP Officer Michael Harper said in an email.

Airports in San Francisco and Los Angeles reported minor flight delays Wednesday morning.

Gov. Gavin Newsom also declared a state of emergency in six counties Wednesday to allow for state assistance in response to the storm.

Atmospheric rivers carry moisture from the tropics to northern latitudes in the form of long, narrow bands of water vapor that form over an ocean and flow into 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.