Southern California declares emergency amid holiday storms
California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Wednesday as Southern California faces one of the most powerful holiday storms in years.
The emergency covers Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Shasta counties. Flooding, mudflows, and road closures have disrupted travel, while evacuation orders have been issued in severely affected communities. Thousands of residents in Los Angeles are reportedly without power, News.Az reports, citing Xinhua.
“A series of atmospheric rivers has brought high-intensity rainfall and strong winds to already saturated soils, increasing the risk of flooding, landslides, debris flows, and rapidly rising rivers,” Governor Newsom said, noting that recently burned areas face an elevated threat of mudslides.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also declared a local emergency to ensure sufficient resources in the coming days. Widespread flash flood warnings remain in effect, and the U.S. National Weather Service has issued a rare “High Risk” alert for excessive rainfall through Thursday morning.
Heavy rain is expected to continue through Christmas Day, raising the risk of dangerous rock and mudslides. Showers are forecast to taper off by early Saturday, bringing drier and warmer conditions.
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