As a fierce atmospheric river dumps heavy rains across parts of Southern California, some residents have been driven from their homes on Christmas Day as flooding and debris flow continue to threaten the region.
The storm, which prompted evacuation orders and warnings in Southern California counties including Ventura and Santa Barbara, is expected to continue delivering excessive rainfall through the end of the week, along with heavy snow to the Sierra Nevada mountains, the National Weather Service said.
The rain is especially a risk across burn scars, areas that experienced recent wildfires and are more prone to flooding and landslides, officials said. That includes areas impacted by the Palisades and Eaton fires in January 2025.
"The fast-moving runoff can pick up rocks, mud, ash and debris, quickly turning into a debris flow that can race downhill with little warning, taking out homes, vehicles and roads along the way," AccuWeather meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said.
A state of emergency was in place across Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Shasta counties, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced.
