A severe and historic winter storm is battering Southern California, forcing Governor Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency for Los Angeles and surrounding counties. The intense weather system, described as a "Pineapple Express," is dumping several months' worth of rain in just days, leading to flash floods, mudslide threats in wildfire-scarred zones, and claiming at least three lives.
State of Emergency and Immediate Impacts
Governor Gavin Newsom's emergency proclamation covers multiple counties as the region braces for the storm's peak through Saturday. The crisis has already turned deadly, with a third confirmed fatality linked to the severe conditions, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. In response, the state has pre-positioned critical resources, including 55 fire engines and 10 swiftwater rescue teams, to assist communities.
The storm's fury is disrupting life across Southern California. Mandatory evacuations are in effect for canyon communities in Los Angeles County and Orange County. Transportation is severely hampered with road closures, flooded freeways, and significant flight delays, hitting one of the year's busiest travel periods. A section of the Angeles Crest Highway was closed due to hazardous conditions.
Utility services are also under strain. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power reported over 10,700 customers without power on Wednesday morning due to storm debris. Southern California Edison has also recorded numerous outages.
Burn Scar Danger and Meteorological Phenomenon
A major concern is the heightened risk of mudslides and debris flows in areas recently devastated by wildfires, such as Pacific Palisades and Altadena. Meteorologists warn that the burned, hydrophobic soil in these "burn scars" cannot absorb water, causing rain to run off like on concrete and dramatically increasing landslide risks.
"Those soils are still hydrophobic... There are burn scars that have lasted for four or five years before you see any improvement," explained Scott Kleebauer, a meteorologist at the US Weather Prediction Center. He noted this combination of factors creates a once-in-five-to-ten-year weather event.
The storm is fueled by an atmospheric river known as the Pineapple Express, which channels a plume of tropical moisture all the way from near Hawaii. This moisture is being forced directly into Southern California's coastal mountains at a perfect angle for extreme rainfall. "You get this tropical moisture source forced into the mountains and then it just rains itself out," Kleebauer added.
Regional Warnings and Travel Chaos
The US Weather Prediction Center has issued a moderate risk of excessive rainfall for parts of Southern California, warning of numerous flash floods and rising streams and rivers. A flood watch remains in effect for most of the region.
Further north, the San Francisco Bay Area is under threat of severe thunderstorms with wind gusts potentially exceeding 70 miles per hour. In the Sierra Nevada, Mammoth Mountain resort anticipated up to 24 inches (61 centimeters) of snow, delaying operations.
With the storm persisting through the Christmas holiday, officials urge residents to avoid travel, heed evacuation orders, and prepare for continued power and infrastructure disruptions as this dangerous weather event unfolds.
