California’s Deadly Flooding Hits Millions With Power Outages, And Evacuations

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

LOS ANGELES, USA (Worthy News) – Millions of people across hard-hit California faced mounting challenges Friday as a powerful rain and wind storm, fueled by an atmospheric river from the Pacific, continued to batter large parts of the state, following weather-related deaths earlier in the week amid widespread flooding, debris flows, and power outages.

Forecasters said the storm system remained active on Friday, with saturated ground keeping the risk of flash flooding and mudslides high, especially in areas already scarred by recent wildfires. No additional fatalities were immediately confirmed Friday, after at least three deaths were reported, but conditions remained dangerous.

More than 11 inches (about 28 centimeters) of rain had fallen in parts of Los Angeles County earlier in the week, prompting a flood watch for much of Southern California, authorities said.

Evacuation warnings and orders remained in effect for several mountain and foothill communities, including parts of San Bernardino County.

“There is a moderate risk of excessive rainfall over parts of Southern California,” the U.S. Weather Prediction Center stressed. “Numerous flash flooding events are possible, and many streams may flood, potentially affecting larger rivers.”

STATES OF EMERGENCY AND OFFICIAL WARNINGS

California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles County and several other Southern California counties, citing flooding and landslide risks in wildfire burn areas.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also declared a local emergency, urging residents to limit travel and heed official warnings. “Please do not take this storm lightly,” Bass said, encouraging residents to follow emergency guidance.

In San Bernardino County, sheriff’s officials said evacuation orders remained in place Friday for the mountain community of Wrightwood, warning of possible mud and debris flows as additional rainfall moved through the region.

Authorities confirmed that earlier in the week a 64-year-old man was killed in San Diego’s City Heights neighborhood when a large tree fell on him during the storm. Emergency crews across Southern California also carried out multiple water rescues as swollen creeks and rivers overflowed their banks.

POWER OUTAGES AND INFRASTRUCTURE DAMAGE

As of Friday, more than 100,000 customers across California had experienced power outages during the storm, according to PowerOutage.com service, with the largest concentrations reported in central and Southern California. Utility crews continued restoration efforts as conditions allowed.

In Los Angeles, evacuation orders affected about 130 homes deemed especially vulnerable to mudslides in areas damaged by last year’s wildfires in Pacific Palisades. Firefighters responded to river rescues, while police handled more than 100 traffic accidents, officials said.

City crews worked to restore damaged traffic signals and responded to hundreds of reports of downed trees and branches, while residents were offered free sandbags at fire stations to protect homes from floodwaters.

Meteorologists said wildfire burn scars significantly worsened runoff. “Those soils are still hydrophobic, which means that rain just runs off like it’s hitting hard dirt or concrete,” explained Scott Kleebauer of the Weather Prediction Center.

ROADS CLOSED AS STORM CONTINUES

The Angeles Crest Highway, a major route through the San Gabriel Mountains, remained closed in several sections due to flooding and rockslides. Officials also confirmed a rare tornado warning had been issued earlier in the storm for a small part of east-central Los Angeles County during intense thunderstorms.

Although rainfall eased at times, forecasters said “ground saturation” meant the risk of flooding and debris flows would persist into the weekend, urging residents to remain alert even as the storm system gradually weakened.

Emergency officials said recovery and damage assessments would continue once conditions improve, warning that California’s increasingly intense winter storms pose ongoing risks to communities statewide.

While climate-changing fearing scientists have linked the death and destruction to human caused climate change, experts have also cited urbanization as a main reason for the human suffering in circumstances such as in California and elsewhere in the world.

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