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

From Drought to Deluge

Southern California has experienced a dramatic shift in weather patterns. Just last year, the region faced a super dry winter, exacerbated by strong winds that fueled some of the worst fires in Los Angeles history.

This Christmas, however, brought a record-breaking wet spell. Many parts of Southern California saw the wettest Christmas in modern history, with mountain areas receiving nearly 18 inches of rain since Tuesday. More rain fell on Friday, but the weekend promised clearer skies.

A Drastic Change from Last Year

This wet start to the water year (beginning in October) is a stark contrast to the previous year, which was dry and hot. In fact, 2024 was one of the hottest years on record for coastal Southern California. Globally, people are experiencing more extreme swings between dry and wet weather, a trend scientists attribute to human-caused global warming.

The Rain's Double-Edged Sword

The heavy rainfall brought much-needed moisture to dry vegetation, reducing the risk of wildfires and keeping the state out of drought conditions. However, it also caused significant flooding.

• Flood watches were in effect across much of California through Friday afternoon.
• Evacuation orders were issued for dozens of homes in Riverwood, Sunland, due to a potential partial release of water from Tujunga Dam.
• Evacuation warnings were also in place in recent burn scars in L.A. County, with specific homes at higher risk for mudslides.

Storms Cause Damage and Fatalities

The storms resulted in at least three deaths:

1. A motorist drove into floodwaters in Redding.
2. A woman was knocked off a rock by a large wave at a beach in Mendocino County.
3. 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, allowing for state resources to mobilize quickly and authorizing Caltrans to seek federal help for repairing damaged roads.

Widespread Damage Across California

• Flooding, landslides, and fallen trees were 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.
• Wrightwood, a small town in the San Gabriel Mountains, was hardest hit. A Christmas Eve debris flow damaged homes, buried cars, and led to multiple swiftwater rescues after nearly 10 inches of rain fell in 24 hours.
• Lytle Creek, another mountain community, was trapped after a bridge was covered with water and possibly destroyed.

Major Freeways Shut Down

Several major freeways were closed for hours due to the storm, including:

• Interstate 15 through the Cajon Pass
• Interstate 5 in Sun Valley

Los Angeles firefighters deployed teams to several river-rescue incidents.