Heavy rain, power outages, closed roads: the US state of California will be hit by a severe storm over Christmas.
December 25, 2025, 07:45December 25, 2025, 07:45
The US weather service NWS spoke on Wednesday of a “dangerous Christmas storm” in Southern California that posed a major threat to “property and life.” Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for several districts, including the metropolis of Los Angeles. The highest alert level was declared by Thursday morning.
There was also damage in parts of California on Christmas Eve.Image: keystone
The NWS warned that “life-threatening flash flooding” is still expected in Southern California on Wednesday and Thursday. In addition, there is “continued heavy snowfall in the mountains and strong winds.” The storm could bring wind speeds of up to 130 kilometers per hour in the deserts and mountains of Los Angeles County.
“If you plan to be out and about during the Christmas holiday, please reconsider your plans,” NWS meteorologist Ariel Cohen told reporters. “Significant flooding, rock falls and mudslides are likely to occur in many areas, particularly in high elevation areas and on roads through ravines,” Cohen added.
Governor Newsom later declared a state of emergency for some counties. This is intended to make it easier for the authorities to quickly mobilize resources in an emergency.
Consequences of the “atmospheric flow”
There had already been heavy rain in the region on Wednesday night. In the meantime, authorities in Los Angeles issued a tornado warning, but later withdrew it.
The first consequences of the storm were visible on Wednesday morning: fallen trees blocked roads and there was flooding in some areas. Several important roads were also closed due to warnings of flash floods, and thousands of households lost power due to damaged pipes. According to the website Poweroutage, about 101,000 homes and businesses across the state were without power.
The weather phenomenon, called an “atmospheric river,” could bring more than 12 inches of rain to some communities in Southern California, according to the NWS. Atmospheric rivers are streams in the atmosphere that carry huge amounts of water vapor from the tropics and transport them to cooler regions. Such a stream is expected to fall over Southern California by the weekend. The heaviest rainfall is expected on Wednesday in Los Angeles.
Snowfall is also expected in the Sierra Nevada mountains along California’s eastern border. 30 centimeters of snow had already fallen here this week.
On Tuesday, authorities in Los Angeles had already ordered the evacuation of more than 200 households. Several emergency shelters in the region opened their doors to people evacuated from their homes.
Classy suburbs are probably particularly affected
The posh Los Angeles suburbs of Pacific Palisades and Malibu, where devastating fires raged almost a year ago, could be particularly affected. Because of the heavy rainfall that has been announced, serious landslides are feared there. Due to the massive damage caused by the fires at the time, the area is prone to mudslides during heavy rain.
However, many residents of Los Angeles did not allow themselves to be deterred in their Christmas preparations. Some were still out on Wednesday to get last-minute gifts, buy groceries or go jogging.
Others, however, changed their plans because of the storm. “We have decided to stay at home,” resident Jim Lewis told the AFP news agency. Because of the severe weather warnings, he decided against visiting his cousins in nearby Pasadena. “It doesn’t feel safe,” he said.
Resident Larissa Peet, on the other hand, wanted to stick to her planned Christmas party despite the warnings. “We don’t do anything different than usual,” she said. “We just hang out together, eat, drink and have fun.” (sda/afp)