California storm blamed for at least 2 deaths with possibly more heavy rain, mudslides

World A car sits buried in mud after flooding on Wednesday in Wrightwood as California deals with powerful storms that have led to states of emergencies in several counties.(Wally Skalij/The Associated Press) Cloudy skies form over Rancho Mirage, Calif. on Tuesday ahead of an impending rainstorm.(Pamela Hassell/The Associated Press) A highway patrol officer drives along California State Route 138 through mud on Wednesday near Wrightwood.(Wally Skalij/The Associated Press) California storm blamed for at least 2 deaths with possibly more heavy rain, mudslides Gov. Gavin Newsom declares a state of emergency in 6 counties Southern California is bracing Thursday for another powerful storm system that could cause more flooding and mudslides, a day after heavy rain and gusty winds were blamed for at least two deaths. Forecasters said the region could see its wettest Christmas in years, increasing the risk of debris flows in areas scorched by wildfires in January. Those burn scar zones have been stripped of vegetation by fire and are less able to absorb water. On Wednesday, a falling tree killed a San Diego man, local news outlets reported. Farther north, a Sacramento sheriff's deputy died in what appeared to be a weather-related crash. San Bernardino County firefighters said they rescued people trapped in cars when mud and debris rushed down a road leading into Wrightwood, a resort town in the San Gabriel Mountains about 130 kilometres northeast of Los Angeles. It was not immediately clear how many were rescued. Firefighters also went door to door to check homes and the area was under a shelter-in-place order, officials said. An evacuation order was issued for Lytle Creek, also in the San Gabriel Mountains. Travis Guenther and his family were trapped in Lytle Creek after roaring waters washed out the only bridge in or out of their neighbourhood. Everybody that left to go to work this morning is stuck. Half the families are here and half the families are on the other side of the creek.- Travis Guenther More than a dozen neighbours took shelter at a community centre or found hotel rooms. "Everybody that left to go to work this morning is stuck," he said. "Half the families are here and half the families are on the other side of the creek." Guenther said he had plenty of supplies and was co-ordinating with others in the community of about 280 people. Two nurses who live on his street offered to help anyone who may need medical attention. Little tree coverage in wildfire-hit town Janice Quick, president of the Wrightwood Chamber of Commerce and a resident of the mountain town for 45 years, said a wildfire in 2024 left much of the terrain without tree coverage. The storm also stranded Dillan Brown, his wife and 14-month-old daughter at a rented cabin in Wrightwood with almost no food and only enough diapers for about another day. Roads leading off the mountain and to a grocery store were blocked by rocks and debris, Brown said. A resident posted a call for...

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