LOS ANGELES – Widespread Flash Flood Warnings were issued across the Los Angeles metro area and other parts of Southern California Wednesday, as a powerful Christmas Eve storm triggered mudslides and emergency evacuations across the region. The life-threatening floods come during what was expected to be one of the busiest days of holiday travel for millions of people.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued Flash Flood Warnings for parts of Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties early Wednesday.
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Mudslide closed Topanga Canyon Boulevard (SR-27) from PCH to Grand View Drive on Dec. 24, 2025.
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Mudslide closed Topanga Canyon Boulevard (SR-27) from PCH to Grand View Drive on Dec. 24, 2025.
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ALTADENA, CA – DECEMBER 23, 2025: Bob Ganguin of Altadena places sandbags at the end of his driveway in preparation for the forecasted storm to arrive Tuesday night on December 23, 2025 in Altadena, California.
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 20: Rain falls from storm clouds over downtown as seen from the Baldwin Hills neighborhood on November 20, 2025 in Los Angeles, California, during multiple days of a storm that triggered evacuation and flash flood warnings in Southern California.
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ALTADENA, CA – DECEMBER 23, 2025: Dave Racs of Altadena steps over one of the large hay filled burlap rolls he placed around his property to keep mud and debris from flowing onto his property once the forecasted storm hits on December 23, 2025 in Altadena, California. He lost his 100 year old home in the Eaton fire and is now living on the property in an RV.
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Some of the warnings issued included rain rates as high as 1.25 inches per hour.
Mudslides caused by the storm washed out State Route 2 near Wrightwood, California, triggering home evacuations in that part of San Bernardino County, around 9:00 a.m. local time.
WHAT FLOOD WATCHES, WARNINGS AND EMERGENCIES REALLY MEAN
First responders have requested additional crews to assist with those evacuations.
Mudslides from a powerful Christmas Eve storm washed out State Route 2 near Wrightwood, California, triggering evacuations in that part of San Bernardino County, CA. First responders have requested additional crews to assist with evacuations.
Caltrans reported road flooding and downed tree branches across Southern California early Wednesday, as the powerful storm system moved onshore.
A mudslide closed part of Topanga Canyon Boulevard, a main connection between the Pacific Coast Highway and the San Fernando Valley, in the Santa Monica Mountains Wednesday.
Evacuation warnings had been issued across Southern California ahead of Wednesday’s storm, mostly for areas close to burn scars from January’s wildfire disaster.
WHAT IS A WILDFIRE BURN SCAR AND HOW COULD THEY HAVE LASTING IMPACTS?
Ash from wildfires creates burn scars—a water-repellent coating that prevents the ground from absorbing water and causes the area to be predisposed to flash flooding and debris flows.
Heavy rain dropped visibility for drivers early Wednesday in Orange County, California, as a powerful storm with the potential for life-threatening flash flooding moved onshore.
Los Angeles police officers went door-to-door earlier in the week warning people living in high-risk homes within evacuation zones.
7 FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT FLASH FLOODS
The Los Angeles Fire Department issued evacuation warnings through 11 p.m. Thursday for possible debris flows around the Palisades and Eaton Fire burn scars that could impact the Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Altadena and Sierra Madre communities.
Altadena, CA – December 22: Signs at a location where Los Angeles County Public Works Department workers distribute sandbags to residents at a county works public yard on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025 in Altadena, CA.
((Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) / Getty Images)
Similar notices are in effect for neighborhoods around the Hurst and Sunset fires, as well as brunt scar and flood-prone regions across Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, Ventura, and Orange counties.
People near the Palisades and Eaton Fire burn scars were urged to take protective action earlier in the week. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works distributed sandbags in Altadena and other vulnerable communities.
FILE – Sierra Madre, CA – February 14:A mudslide poured into this home along Sunnyslope Drive in Sierra Madre during heavy rains on Thursday. Over an Inch of rain fell Thursday over mountain areas burned by the Eaton fire causing several mudslides in the area.
((Photo by David Crane/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images) / Getty Images)
Los Angeles County opened a shelter in west L.A. ahead of the storm.
The NWS office in Los Angeles issued several warnings Wednesday for boaters regarding possible waterspouts.
Farther north, the National Weather Service office in San Francisco issued a Special Marine Warning from Pigeon Point to Point Pinos, highlighting the threat of waterspouts and large waves.
