{"id":7078,"date":"2025-12-26T19:39:54","date_gmt":"2025-12-26T19:39:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=7078"},"modified":"2025-12-26T19:39:54","modified_gmt":"2025-12-26T19:39:54","slug":"mudslides-bury-cars-and-homes-up-to-their-windows-in-california-town-california","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=7078","title":{"rendered":"Mudslides bury cars and homes up to their windows in California town | California"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Mudslides buried cars and homes up to their windows in a California<\/a> mountain town as a powerful storm system brought the wettest Christmas in decades to the southern part of the state.<\/p>\n

As much as 12in of rain fell across the area on Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service, triggering flooding and washing out roads.<\/p>\n

Local authorities issued an evacuation warning for Wrightwood, California, a town of just under 5,000 people around 80 miles (130km) north-east of Los Angeles, as images showed mud and debris engulfing homes and vehicles. The San Bernardino county fire department on Thursday night stated<\/a> that one person was injured in the slide, but that weather conditions were expected to improve and there was no ongoing safety threat.<\/p>\n

The town remained under an evacuation warning on Friday morning with some surrounding roads closed, according to the county\u2019s emergency service system.<\/p>\n

The storms, a result of atmospheric rivers carrying plumes of moisture from the tropics, hit during one of the busiest travel weeks of the year. The immense rainfall was also a stark shift from last winter, when an exceedingly dry year<\/a> created conditions for the rapid spread of devastating wildfires across the region.<\/p>\n

The system brought the wettest Christmas season to downtown Los Angeles in 54 years, the National Weather Service said.<\/p>\n

At least three people have been killed<\/a> since the storms began earlier this week. A motorist was killed in the northern California city of Redding after becoming trapped in their vehicle<\/a> during a flood. Farther south, a Sacramento sheriff\u2019s deputy died<\/a> in what appeared to be a weather-related crash. And in San Diego, a man was reportedly killed<\/a> by a falling tree.<\/p>\n

<\/svg><\/span>A car is buried in mud after a series of storms on Thursday in Wrightwood, California.<\/span> Photograph: William Liang\/AP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In Wrightwood, the storm knocked out power and left a gas station and coffee shop that ran on generators to serve as a hub for residents and visitors.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really a crazy Christmas,\u201d said Jill Jenkins, who was spending the holiday with her 13-year-old grandson, Hunter Lopiccolo.<\/p>\n

Lopiccolo said the family almost evacuated the previous day, when water washed away a chunk of their backyard, but they decided to stay and still celebrated the holiday. Lopiccolo got a new snowboard and an e-bike.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just played card games all night with candles and flashlights,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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Davey Schneider hiked a mile and a half (2.4km) through rain and flood water up to his shins from his Wrightwood residence on Wednesday to rescue cats from his grandfather\u2019s house.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to help them out because I wasn\u2019t confident that they were going to live,\u201d Schneider said on Thursday. \u201cFortunately, they all lived. They\u2019re all OK \u2013 just a little bit scared.\u201d<\/p>\n

Arlene Corte said roads in town turned into rivers, but her house was not damaged.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt could be a whole lot worse,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re here talking.\u201d<\/p>\n

With more rain on the way, more than 150 firefighters were stationed in the area, said Shawn Millerick, San Bernardino county fire department spokesperson.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re ready,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s all hands on deck at this point.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/svg><\/span>A car drives through a flooded road on La Cienega Boulevard on Wednesday in Los Angeles, California.<\/span> Photograph: Apu Gomes\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Areas along the coast, including Malibu, were under a flood watch until Friday afternoon, and wind and flood advisories were issued for much of the Sacramento valley and the San Francisco Bay Area.<\/p>\n

Southern California typically gets half an inch to 1 inch (1.3-2.5cm) of rain this time of year, but this week many areas could see between 4 and 8in, with even more in the mountains, National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Wofford said.<\/p>\n

More wind and heavy snow was expected in the Sierra Nevada, where gusts created \u201cnear white-out conditions\u201d and made mountain pass travel treacherous.<\/p>\n

Governor Gavin Newsom<\/a> declared emergencies in six counties to allow state assistance.<\/p>\n

The state deployed resources and first responders to several coastal and southern California counties, and the California national guard was on standby.<\/p>\n