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California Christmas Eve Storm: Photos of the Damage

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  • An atmospheric storm caused heavy rain across Southern California over Christmas.
  • The National Weather Service warned residents of ‘life-threatening’ floods and mudslides.
  • Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in six counties.

Heavy rain and fierce winds from an atmospheric storm slammed Southern California on Wednesday, flooding roads and triggering mudslides as authorities urged parts of the region to evacuate.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Shasta counties on Wednesday. Some areas had already received 4 to 8 inches of rain by Wednesday morning, according to the National Weather Service.

Another wave of the storm was expected to hit on Christmas Day, with flood and wind advisories for “life-threatening” storm conditions from the National Weather Service remaining in effect until Thursday afternoon.

Over 163,000 homes and businesses across California were still without power on Christmas morning, according to poweroutage.us.

Earlier in the week, the Redding Police Department reported one storm-related fatality in Northern California. Two more deaths occurred in South Sacramento and San Diego, CNN reported.

Photos show the storm’s damage across California.

On Wednesday, a storm led to severe flooding, evacuation orders, and power outages across the state of California.


A driver goes though a road closed for flooding, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025, in in Valencia, Calif.



Road closures were a common sight.

Ty ONeil/AP Photo

The storms are affecting the entire state, from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

The storms continued into Christmas Day and are expected to persist through the 26th.




The water levels rose in Eaton Canyon as heavy rain moved through the region on December 24, 2025.

Anadolu/Anadolu/Getty Images

The storms began on Christmas Eve, with the Weather Prediction Center warning that a “dangerous scenario” was on the way.

Mudslides and flooding are a problem across Southern California.




A flood after torrential rain in San Bernardino County, California.

San Bernardino County Fire/REUTERS

Per CNN, 15 million people were still in the moderate-risk zone for flooding on Christmas Day.

The Santa Barbara airport set a record for rainfall on Christmas Eve.




Heavy rains fell due to an atmospheric river near Los Angeles.

Jill Connelly/REUTERS

The airport saw 3 inches of rainfall on the 24th.

The town of Wrightwood, located about 80 miles northeast of LA, was hit hard.




A trash can stuck in mud on California State Route 2 after flooding in Wrightwood, California.

Wally Skalij/AP Photo

According to CNN, emergency crews were pulling people from flooded cars and homes, and some people even had to be rescued from their roofs via helicopter.

A local resident told The New York Times it was “the worst flooding I’ve ever seen.”




A car sat buried in mud after flooding on December 24 in Wrightwood.

Wally Skalij/AP Photo

Sarah Bailey, a resident of the Wrightwood area for two decades, told the Times this was the worst flooding she’d seen.

Christopher Prater, a spokesman for the San Bernardino County Fire Department, told the outlet they’d received “dozens” of rescue calls on Wednesday night.

This specific type of storm is called a “Pineapple Express.”




Part of California State Route 138 was washed away by flooding outside Wrightwood.

Wally Skalij/AP Photo

A Pineapple Express is an atmospheric river, a band of concentrated water vapor. These “rivers” are responsible for 30 to 50% of California’s rainfall.

Over 163,000 people were left without power.




A resident swept water and mud from her house after flooding in Wrightwood.

Wally Skalij/AP Photo

The power outages are focused in Northern California, according to The New York Times.

Even though the storm is on its way out, flooding is still a concern.




The aftermath of the torrential rains in San Bernardino County, California.

Timothy and the Machine Music via Facebook/REUTERS

Any additional rainfall that comes on the 25th and 26th, even if it’s less intense, could cause more flooding and debris to wash away, especially in areas that were devastated by the LA wildfires earlier this year.

“I am urging all Angelenos to stay safe and be extremely careful on the roads if you absolutely must travel,” Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles said in a statement. “Please do not take this storm lightly.”

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