California Christmas Storms Kill At Least Four as Atmospheric Rivers Pound the State
California got hammered over Christmas with back-to-back atmospheric rivers dropping months worth of rain in two days. At least four people are dead. Thousands were evacuated. Parts of the state are still underwater.
This wasnt just a bad storm. This was a once-in-a-decade event hitting during the busiest travel week of the year.
The Damage So Far
CNN reports the death toll includes a 19-year Sacramento County Sheriff’s deputy who crashed on a wet road heading to work, a 61-year-old San Diego man killed by a falling tree, and two others in Northern California.
Downtown Los Angeles broke its record for wettest Christmas Eve-Christmas Day since 1971. Some mountain areas saw 4 to 8 inches of rain – thats a month’s worth in 48 hours.
Axios notes Governor Newsom declared emergencies in six counties: LA, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Shasta. The California National Guard was on standby.
The Mountain Town Disaster
Wrightwood, a resort town in the San Gabriel Mountains, got absolutely wrecked. Mud and debris cascaded down roads. Cars got buried. Homes flooded.
One family – a father, mother and 14-month-old daughter – got stranded in a rental cabin with almost no food and dwindling diapers. Roads were completely blocked by rocks and debris. Neighbors organized through Facebook and showed up on foot with supplies.
A 2024 wildfire stripped the terrain of tree coverage, making the flooding even worse. Burned land acts like concrete – it cant absorb water so everything runs downhill fast.
The Burn Scar Problem
Januarys wildfires created a perfect setup for disaster. Areas like Pacific Palisades, Malibu and Altadena that burned are now facing catastrophic debris flow risks. The soil just cant hold water anymore.
CBS News reports LA County extended evacuation orders in burn scar areas through Friday. Many residents chose not to leave despite warnings.
Whats Still Coming
Another 1 to 3 inches of rain was expected Friday on top of everything already on the ground. A Level 2 of 4 flood risk covered 18 million people in Southern California according to the Weather Prediction Center.
The Sierra Nevada got pounded with snow too. An avalanche injured two ski patrollers at Mammoth Mountain on Friday morning. Over 5 feet of snow fell there since Tuesday.
Climate scientist Daniel Swain noted December 2025 is “likely to end up as the warmest on record” across much of the West. Warmer oceans mean more moisture in these atmospheric rivers. The pattern isn’t going away.
For now, California dries out and counts the damage. This wont be the last time we have this conversation.
