(Los Angeles) Torrential rains have triggered flash floods and debris flow warnings in areas of southern California already scarred by fires, and rain and strong winds are expected to continue on Friday, according to US authorities.
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Carried by an “atmospheric river, a meteorological phenomenon also known as the “Pineapple Express”, which carries water vapor from the tropics to the coasts and causes massive precipitation, the storms which hit California are expected to dump in a few days the equivalent of several months of rain.
Early Thursday, the U.S. Weather Service (NWS) forecast that Southern California, including Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the United States, was at risk of excessive precipitation.
“A very humid air current will cause heavy rains in California on Thursday,” warned the NWS, warning that “numerous flash floods are possible”, with a risk of carrying debris, especially where forest fires have ravaged vegetation and weakened soils.
Rain will continue Friday, the NWS forecast.
Heavy rains began to fall across Southern California on Wednesday.
At least three people died in storm-related accidents, including a man killed by a falling tree, the Los Angeles Times.
Winds gusting up to nearly 90 km/h are also expected in parts of Southern California.
A state of emergency was declared for Los Angeles and the surrounding area by Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday.
PHOTO JILL ConnellY, REUTERS ARCHIVES
Workers inspect a portion of the 5 Freeway closed to traffic due to heavy rain caused by an atmospheric river, in the Sun Valley area of Los Angeles, California, December 24, 2025.
“We’re not out of it yet. Rain continues to fall across Los Angeles County, making roads, waterways and drainage channels extremely dangerous. Check conditions before venturing out today,” Los Angeles County officials told X on Thursday.
Rescue work
In San Bernardino County, adjacent to Los Angeles, authorities told AFP they were working Thursday to divert the flow of floodwaters.
IMAGE FROM SCREENSHOT/DAMIAN NIKODEM, PROVIDED BY REUTERS ARCHIVES
A vehicle drives on a flooded street during torrential rains in San Bernardino County, California, December 24, 2025.
Muddy water rushed through the mountain town of Wrightwood the day before, trapping residents in their homes, said Christopher Prater, a spokesman for the county Fire Department.
“Firefighters were on site to rescue people, help them get out of their homes and bring them to safety, while also rescuing people stuck in their vehicles,” he said Thursday, adding that operations continued into the night.
Areas bearing traces of the fires that ravaged California last January were on special alert, including the coastal areas of Pacific Palisades and Malibu. These areas are less able to absorb water due to the loss of vegetation.
In Northern California, a dangerous storm was spotted forming early Thursday morning in the San Francisco Bay area, with an emergency warning for flash flooding, the San Francisco Chronicle.
Shortly after 12 p.m. (3 p.m. Eastern) Thursday, the weather service warned that a severe thunderstorm near Santa Cruz could spawn a tornado.
The NWS also predicted that a winter storm could bring heavy snowfall to the Sierra Nevada range along California’s eastern border.
