WEB DESK: Three days of relentless rainfall triggering flash floods and mudslides across Southern California have finally eased, allowing residents in the severely impacted mountain town of Wrightwood to begin clearing out mud and evaluating the extent of the damage.
The holiday storm drenched the greater Los Angeles area with rainfall totals reaching up to 152 millimeters by Friday. Meanwhile, lower-elevation mountain regions to the east of the city recorded over 304 millimeters of rain, according to the National Weather Service.
This downpour, which began on Christmas Eve, was fueled by the latest atmospheric river storm, a massive airborne system carrying significant moisture from the Pacific Ocean inland.
In addition to the heavy rain, powerful gusty winds swept through the region, uprooting trees, knocking down power lines, and causing widespread outages. Higher-altitude mountain areas experienced intense snowfall during the storm’s peak.
While rainfall eased on Friday, a flood watch remained in effect for large parts of Southern California, as officials monitored the risk of further flooding.
In Wrightwood, home to approximately 5,000 people in the San Gabriel Mountains northeast of Los Angeles, safety inspectors from the county started assessing the destruction left in the storm’s wake. Several dozen homes suffered significant damage due to powerful rivers of mud that surged through the area on Wednesday. Authorities remained prepared for potential additional debris flows, according to Ryan Beckers, a spokesperson for the San Bernardino County Fire Department.
Evacuation warnings are still in place for the town, with roads closed to non-residents to secure public safety.
