Dec 26, 2025, 10:56Dec 26, 2025, 10:56
Severe storms caused flooding and mudslides in the US state of California over Christmas. The US weather service NWS warned that heavy rain and storms were expected in southern California throughout Friday.
“Numerous flash floods are possible,” the storm warning said. As the Los Angeles Times reported, there were at least three dead. A man was killed by a falling tree in San Diego.
Flooding in Wrightwood.Image: keystone
Severe storms had already hit California on Christmas Eve. More than 25 centimeters of rain has already fallen in some normally sunny areas.
On Thursday, the NWS issued a severe weather warning for Southern California, which also affected the metropolis of Los Angeles, the second largest city in the USA. There were warnings of heavy rain, flash floods and gusts of more than 88 kilometers per hour. There was also a risk of debris avalanches in areas that were devastated by devastating fires at the beginning of the year. Authorities declared a state of emergency in several counties, including Los Angeles.
A car is stuck in the mud.Image: keystone
A weather phenomenon known as an “atmospheric river” was responsible for the storm. Atmospheric rivers are streams in the atmosphere that transport huge amounts of water vapor from warm to cooler regions. In California, moisture is shoveled from Hawaii to the US West Coast by the so-called Pineapple Express. (sda/afp)