Southern California's Wild Weather Swings: From Drought to Deluge

Southern California has seen some wild weather lately. Just last year, the area was dealing with a super dry winter. Then, strong winds made things worse, leading to some of the worst fires in Los Angeles history. But this Christmas, it was a totally different story. It was the wettest Christmas in modern history for many parts of Southern California. Some mountain areas got almost 18 inches of rain since Tuesday, and more rain fell on Friday. By the weekend, things should clear up. This wet start to the water year, which began in October, is a big change from last year. Last year was super dry and hot. In fact, 2024 was one of the hottest years on record for coastal Southern California. Around the world, people are seeing more dramatic swings between dry and wet weather. Scientists say this is likely because of human-caused global warming. The rain this Christmas was a big help. It brought much-needed moisture to dry vegetation and helped keep the state out of drought conditions. This also reduced the risk of wildfires. But the rain also caused some problems. Flood watches were in effect through much of California at least through Friday afternoon. Evacuation orders were in place for dozens of homes in the Riverwood neighborhood of Sunland. The neighborhood could be at risk from a partial release of water from Tujunga Dam by the L. A. County Department of Public Works, city officials said. Evacuation warnings were also in place in recent burn scars in L. A. County, with evacuation orders issued for specific homes at higher risk for mudslides.The storms caused significant damage across California and resulted in at least three deaths. A motorist drove into floodwaters in Redding, a woman was knocked off a rock by a large wave at a beach in Mendocino County, and a man was struck by a falling tree in San Diego. Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Shasta counties. This allows for state resources to mobilize quickly and authorizes Caltrans to seek federal help to repair damaged roads. Damage was reported across the state, with flooding, landslides and fallen trees also reported in the Central Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. Tornado warnings were briefly issued for the San Gabriel Valley on Wednesday and parts of San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties on Thursday. Among the areas hardest hit was Wrightwood, a town of a few thousand people in the San Gabriel Mountains on the border between Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. A Christmas Eve debris flow rammed into homes and left cars buried in debris. There was damage to multiple properties and a number of swiftwater rescues, with nearly 10 inches of rain recorded in the area in a 24-hour period. People in Lytle Creek, another community in the San Gabriel Mountains, were trapped after a bridge connecting parts of the town was covered with water and possibly destroyed. Evacuation warnings were in place for Wrightwood and Lytle Creek. Major freeways had been shut for hours because of the storm, including Interstate 15 through the Cajon Pass and Interstate 5 in Sun Valley. Los Angeles firefighters deployed teams to several river-rescue incidents.