California rain may ease but more mudslides, flooding possible, forecasters say

A strong storm system that brought relentless winds, rain and snow to California this week is expected to ease Friday, but there is still a risk of high waves along the coast, flash flooding near Los Angeles and avalanches in the Sierra Nevada.

Waves near San Francisco Bay could reach up to 25 feet Friday, parts of Southern California are at risk of flooding and avalanches could hit the Lake Tahoe region, officials warned. Residents were urged to be prepared to evacuate the mountain town of Wrightwood, located about 80 miles northeast of Los Angeles, due to mudslides.

Atmospheric rivers transported huge plumes of moisture from the tropics during one of the busiest travel weeks of the year. The storms were blamed for at least two deaths earlier in the week. According to Find Energy, some 70,000 homes and businesses were left without power overnight.

The system brought the wettest Christmas season to downtown Los Angeles in 54 years, the National Weather Service said.

CBS Los Angeles highlights this that the National Weather Service said: “The threat of flooding will be exacerbated…due to oversaturation of the entire area. “Any rain that occurs will immediately turn to runoff.”

Roads in the town of Wrightwood, population 5,000, were covered in rocks, debris and thick mud Thursday. With the power out, a gas station and cafe running on generators served as hubs for residents and visitors.

With more rain coming, more than 150 firefighters were stationed in the area, San Bernardino County Fire Department spokesman Shawn Millerick said.

“We are ready,” he said. “It’s all hands on deck at this point.”

A fallen tree killed a San Diego man Wednesday, firefighters confirmed to CBS affiliate KFMB-TV. Farther north, a Sacramento sheriff’s deputy died in what appears to be a weather-related accident.

Areas along the coast, including Malibu, were under a flood watch through Friday afternoon, and wind and flood advisories were issued for much of the Sacramento Valley and San Francisco Bay area.

Southern California typically gets between 0.5 and 1 inch of rain this time of year, but this week many areas could see between 4 and 8 inches, and even more in the mountains, said National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Wofford.

More wind and heavy snow were expected in the Sierra Nevada, where gusts created “near whiteout conditions” and made travel through mountain passes hazardous.

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in six counties to allow for state assistance.

The state deployed resources and first responders to several coastal and Southern California counties, and the California National Guard was on standby.