Newsom Declares Emergency
California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Wednesday for several counties as a powerful winter storm system moved across the state, bringing heavy rain, strong winds, and increased risk of flooding.
The emergency order applies to Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Shasta counties. The declaration allows state officials to deploy additional emergency resources and provide assistance to local governments as conditions worsen.
State officials warned that a series of intense winter storms—often referred to as “atmospheric rivers”—has produced heavy rainfall over already saturated ground. With soil unable to absorb more water, the threat of flash flooding, mudslides, debris flows, and rapidly rising rivers has increased significantly.
Communities in Southern California that were damaged by large wildfires earlier this year face an even greater danger. Burned hillsides lack vegetation that normally stabilizes soil, making those areas particularly vulnerable to landslides and fast-moving debris during heavy rain.
Emergency crews have been placed on heightened alert across the affected regions. State agencies have pre-positioned equipment and personnel in anticipation of possible evacuations, road closures, and power outages.
In a statement, Newsom said state officials are coordinating with local governments to prepare for the storm’s impact and protect public safety. Emergency authorities have been activated, and response teams are standing by should conditions deteriorate further.
Evacuation warnings have already been issued in several high-risk areas, particularly near wildfire burn zones. Local officials reported that hundreds of homes considered especially vulnerable were ordered to evacuate as a precautionary measure.
Residents in impacted counties are being advised to monitor local weather alerts, avoid driving through flooded roadways, and prepare for possible disruptions to utilities and transportation as the storm system continues to move through California.
