More downpours in store for soaked California with additional mudslides and

More severe holiday weather is forecast for an already soaked California, with parts of the state bracing for possible additional mudslides and debris flows.

Rain from a powerful winter storm that swept across Southern California was tapering off, but another storm system was on the horizon for Christmas Day with showers and possible thunderstorms.

Two deaths in the state may be related to the severe weather, authorities said.

Map shows areas under flood watches or warnings

A flood watch is in effect through Friday along the California coast from the Oregon border to Los Angeles and in central California.

CBS News weather producer Elie Morrison says “additional on-and-off heavy downpours moving onto the California coast through Friday” could result in an additional 2 to 5 inches of rain.

Forecasters said Southern California could see its wettest Christmas in years and warned of flash flooding and mudslides. Areas scorched by January wildfires got evacuation warnings as heavy rains and gusty winds brought mudslides and debris flows.

Many flood areas were in burn scar zones, which were stripped of vegetation by fire and are less able to absorb water.

San Bernardino County firefighters said they rescued people trapped in cars Wednesday when mud and debris rushed down a road leading into Wrightwood, a resort town in the San Gabriel Mountains about 80 miles northeast of Los Angeles. It wasn’t immediately clear how many were rescued. 

Firefighters also went door to door to check homes, and the area was under a shelter-in-place order, officials said. Some houses were inundated by flood waters.

“I’ve seen some heavy rain, but I’ve never seen rain last this long, as far as the heaviness and this amount of rain — and of course because of our fire, we’ve got a lot of mud and debris flow,” said Janice Quick, the Wrightwood Chamber of Commerce president and 50-year resident, CBS LA reported. The area was ravaged by the Bridge Fire in 2024.

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