Southern California Faces Final Cloudburst, Renewing Mudslide Threat

By Steve Gorman and Brendan O’Brien

LOS ANGELES – A final surge of heavy rain from a deadly atmospheric river storm hit California’s Central Coast on Wednesday, moving toward Los Angeles and increasing the risk of mudslides and flooding in an area already drenched by historical rainfall.

As the storm made its last impact in California, the confirmed death toll from storm-related incidents rose to at least six, as reported by the state’s Office of Emergency Services.

The National Weather Service forecasted up to an inch of additional rain for the Los Angeles region, following a four-day period in which 6-13 inches had already fallen, concluding at midday Wednesday as the storm moved into Arizona.

Flood-watch advisories and warnings remain in effect for much of Southern California, with experts indicating that even a small amount of extra rainfall could trigger new dangerous debris flows and collapsing hillsides.

"Under normal circumstances, it would be manageable, but given how saturated the ground is, we are quite concerned," said Ryan Kittell, an NWS forecaster in Los Angeles, regarding the expected late Wednesday precipitation.

As of Tuesday evening, municipal officials in Los Angeles reported storm crews responding to 475 mudslide incidents and nearly 400 downed trees within the city itself.

Fire Chief Kristin Crowley noted that over three dozen buildings required inspection due to damage from mudslides and hillside failures, with seven of those structures classified as unsafe for occupancy.

Meteorologists are marking this storm as one of the heaviest to strike Southern California in over 150 years, noting its combination of heavy rain and significant snowfall in mountain regions.

From Sunday to Tuesday, downtown Los Angeles recorded more than 8.5 inches of rainfall, ranking as the second-highest total for a three-day span since records began in 1877. The previous record, set in the winter of 1938, was 9.2 inches. The recent downpour accounted for about 60% of the area’s average annual rainfall of 14.25 inches.

Rainfall amounts varied significantly throughout the region, with the rain gauge at the University of California, Los Angeles, located in the hills of Bel Air, recording over a foot of rain within three days.

The consequences of the storm—damage, road closures, traffic accidents, and evacuations—extended beyond city limits, impacting a seven-county area with a population of roughly 21 million.

As of Wednesday, approximately 68,000 homes and businesses in California were still without power.

This storm was caused by an atmospheric river, a large stream of moisture from the ocean that flows inland. The event began with significant rainfall and strong winds in northern and central California before moving southward.

At least three fatalities occurred when winds toppled trees on Sunday in Sacramento, Santa Cruz, and Sutter counties. A fourth death from a fallen tree occurred in Sacramento County on Saturday, along with two vehicle-related deaths in San Bernardino County on Monday, bringing the total to six.

Additionally, the Office of Emergency Services reported three other storm-related fatalities from the previous Thursday and Friday, linked to a weaker atmospheric river that preceded the current storm.

In another impact of the storm, rescue efforts to locate five crew members from a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter that crashed east of San Diego were hampered by rain and snow early Wednesday. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department reported it was unable to reach the crash site due to adverse weather conditions.