Calif. Gov. Declares State of Emergency as State Braces for Flash Floods, Power Outages from Severe Storms

Southern California is preparing for severe storm conditions over the Christmas holiday.

The National Weather Service (NWS) said in a forecast issued Thursday, Dec. 25 that there is a “moderate risk” of “excessive rainfall over parts of Southern California” through the morning of Friday, Dec. 26.

Some parts of Los Angeles County recorded more than 11 inches of rain Wednesday night, according to The Guardian. The NWS warned that flash flooding remains possible on roads, in streams, and in areas impacted by the L.A. fires earlier in 2025.

On Wednesday, Dec. 24, California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in L.A. County and several other Southern California counties, citing the potential for flooding and landslides—particularly in burn scar areas affected by last year’s wildfires.

“With atmospheric rivers, intense rainfall, and strong winds ahead, I’m declaring a state of emergency in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Shasta counties to activate emergency authorities and preposition resources to keep our communities safe,” Newsom wrote on X.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also issued a Declaration of Local Emergency on Wednesday, Dec. 24, saying, “We are making every resource and tool available to help facilitate this continued response effort, including a declaration of a local emergency that I signed to ensure that City teams have the required resources in the days ahead.”

At least two people have died in California in weather-related incidents, according to CNN. In one case, a motorist crashed and died on a roadway in South Sacramento, the outlet reported, citing the California State 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.

Several rescues were also carried out by first responders, including a woman who was swept into the San Jose Creek during severe weather on Wednesday, Dec. 24. A man trapped in a small drainage tunnel on the Los Angeles River was also rescued earlier in the day, per KESQ-TV.

Evacuation warnings were issued for multiple areas of L.A. County—including Palisades, Eaton, Franklin, Kenneth, Agua and Owen—through 11 p.m. Thursday, according to CBS News. Evacuation orders were also issued for about 130 homes in places such as the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, where last year’s fires burned, per The Guardian.

More than 120,000 people across California were without power due to storm-related outages, according to PowerOutage.com. The largest clusters of outages were reported in Monterey, Sonoma and Santa Cruz counties.

Another storm system is expected to move through California, affecting areas including parts of Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Mateo counties on Thursday, according to KESQ-TV. Coastal communities could see roughly 1 to 1.5 inches of rain, while mountain areas may receive 2 to 4 inches, per CBS News.