At least three people were killed in California and holiday travel was hit across the US as a powerful storm system brought floods, mudslides, and snow. Mudslides buried cars and homes up to their windows in the mountain town of Wrightwood, California, after days of heavy rain from a powerful winter storm system, local authorities said.
The slide came as southern California recorded its wettest Christmas in decades and severe weather caused major travel disruption across parts of the United States.
The National Weather Service said up to 12 inches of rain was seen in several areas on Wednesday, triggering floods, washing out roads, and loosening hillsides.
Evacuation warning
Officials issued an evacuation warning for Wrightwood a town of about 5,000 people, 130 km north-east of Los Angeles after thick mud and debris moved through neighbourhoods, surrounding houses and covering vehicles.
The San Bernardino County fire department said one person was injured in the mudslide. Some nearby roads remained closed on Friday and the evacuation warning stayed in place.
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‘Not quite out of the woods yet’
Forecasters warned that more flash flooding and mudslides were still possible in areas around Los Angeles, even as the rain began to ease.
“We’re still not quite out of the woods, but for the most part, the worst is over,” said Mike Wofford, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Los Angeles.
Fire crews said more than 100 people were rescued across Los Angeles County on Thursday, including 21 people airlifted from stranded cars. Authorities also reported numerous traffic collisions during the storm.
The same storm system affected wider parts of the country, with heavy snow and strong winds disrupting transport during the busy holiday travel period.
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Thousands of flights across the United States were cancelled or delayed as airports in New York and other north-eastern cities prepared for winter weather. Airlines urged passengers to check the status of their flights and allow extra time for travel.
Flights were cancelled and delayed across US as storms move east by Friday night, around 1,600 flights had been cancelled and 7,400 delayed, according to figures from the flight-tracking service FlightAware.
Officials warned that the worst conditions were expected during overnight hours, with drivers advised to carry emergency supplies and avoid unnecessary journeys.
Storms driven by atmospheric rivers
The storms were linked to atmospheric rivers long bands of moisture that bring intense rainfall from the tropics. The system brought the wettest Christmas season to downtown Los Angeles in more than 50 years, according to forecasters.
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At least three people have died in California since the storms began earlier in the week. A driver in Redding was killed after becoming trapped in a flooded vehicle, a Sacramento sheriff’s deputy died in a weather-related crash, and a man in San Diego was reported to have been killed by a falling tree.
Residents describe difficult holiday
In Wrightwood, powercut left a petrol station, and a coffee shop either dark or running on generators. They served as gathering points for locals, whose homes were rendered dark by the blackout.
“It’s a crazy Christmas,” said resident Jill Jenkins, who spent the holiday with her grandson after part of their garden was washed away. Others described roads turning into rivers and neighbours helping each other through the storm.
More than 150 firefighters have been deployed in the area, said county fire spokesperson Shawn Millerick. “We’re ready it’s all hands on deck at this point,” he said.
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Flood watches remained in place along parts of the California coast, while mountain regions saw heavy snow and difficult travel. Further east, forecasters warned that winter storms could bring snow and freezing rain to several states over the weekend.
(With inputs from BBC and The Guardian)
