California Governor Gavin Newsom has issued a formal state of emergency declaration for multiple southern counties following a series of destructive winter storms that have battered the region with unprecedented rainfall and powerful winds. The emergency proclamation covers Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties where communities have experienced severe flooding, dangerous mudslides, and substantial debris flows across roadways and residential areas.
The severe weather system has transformed normally dry riverbeds into raging torrents while sending walls of mud and debris through vulnerable mountain communities. Emergency responders have conducted numerous rescue operations for motorists trapped by floodwaters and residents threatened by rapidly moving mudflows that have damaged homes and infrastructure.
Meteorologists report that these storms represent one of the most significant atmospheric river events to impact Southern California in recent years, with some areas receiving over a year’s worth of rainfall in just 48 hours. The saturation of soil conditions has created particularly hazardous circumstances in recent burn scar areas where vegetation loss has increased the risk of devastating mudslides.
State emergency services have been mobilized to assist with evacuation orders, road closures, and damage assessment operations. The governor’s declaration enables affected counties to access additional state resources and federal assistance as communities begin the process of recovery and damage mitigation from the continuing severe weather pattern.