Technology & Science
Christmas Week: Level-4 Flood Alert Triggers Evacuations in Southern California
On 24 Dec 2025 the U.S. Weather Prediction Center placed parts of four SoCal counties under a rare Level 4/4 flood risk, prompting Los Angeles officials to order evacuations around January’s wildfire scars as a powerful ‘Pineapple Express’ atmospheric river began landfall.
Focusing Facts
- Designation covers >6 million residents in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties—Southern California’s first Level-4 alert since 5 Feb 2024.
- Los Angeles County issued mandatory evacuations for 383 burn-scar properties at 11 a.m. PT 23 Dec; Gov. Newsom pre-positioned 45 fire engines, 10 swift-water teams and 225 personnel statewide.
- Forecasts call for 4–8 in of rain on coast/valleys and 8–12 in in foothills by 27 Dec, with rainfall rates topping 1 in per hour and winds gusting to 80 mph.
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Perspectives in this article
- Local Southern California TV stations
- National mainstream outlets and wire reprints
- California public-policy journalism