A woman was rescued in Los Angeles County after severe storm conditions swept her into San Jose Creek, sending her roughly nine miles downstream, according to reports.
The woman, who was not identified, was first seen in the creek near Fullerton Road by the 60 Freeway at about 1:50 p.m. local time on Wednesday, Dec. 24, the Los Angeles Times and The Guardian reported, citing the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACFD). Firefighters arrived roughly 17 minutes later, but she was no longer in the area.
“She went downstream for a while,” LACFD spokesperson Pauline McGee told the Los Angeles Times.
Fire crews, including trucks and a helicopter, searched downstream and ultimately located the woman near Workman Mill Road, about nine miles from where she was initially spotted, the Los Angeles Times reported.
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Video obtained by the outlet showed firefighters helping the woman onto a stretcher. McGee said she was transported to a hospital, but did not provide details about her condition or how she ended up in the creek.
McGee also noted that the creek is about two feet deep and that the water was moving at approximately 8 to 10 mph when the woman was rescued.
The incident comes as Southern California faces intense weather driven by an atmospheric river pushing in from the Pacific. The U.S. Weather Prediction Center forecast a “moderate risk of excessive rainfall over parts of Southern California,” warning that “numerous flash flooding events are possible” and that “many streams may flood, potentially affecting larger rivers.”
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On Wednesday, Dec. 24, California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles County and other Southern California counties, citing flooding as well as landslide and mudslide risks—particularly in areas impacted by last year’s wildfires.
At least two people have died in California in weather-related incidents, according to CNN. One death involved a motorist who crashed on a roadway in South Sacramento, the outlet reported, citing the California Highway Patrol. In San Diego, a 61-year-old man was killed after a large portion of a tree fell on him amid heavy winds, CNN reported, citing the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.
