LOS ANGELES (AP) — Southern California braced Thursday for another powerful storm system that could cause more flooding and mudslides a day after heavy rain and gusty winds were blamed for at least two deaths.
Forecasters said the region could see its wettest Christmas in years, increasing the risk of debris flows in areas scorched by wildfires in January. Those burn scar zones have been stripped of vegetation by fire and are less able to absorb water.
On Wednesday, a falling tree killed a San Diego man, local news outlets reported. Farther north, a Sacramento sheriff’s deputy died in what appeared to be a weather-related crash.
San Bernardino County firefighters said they rescued people trapped in cars when mud and debris rushed down a road leading into Wrightwood, a resort town in the San Gabriel Mountains about 80 miles (130 kilometers) northeast of Los Angeles. It was not immediately clear how many were rescued.
Firefighters also went door to door to check homes, and the area was under a shelter-in-place order, officials said. An evacuation order was issued for Lytle Creek, also in the San Gabriel Mountains.
