San Diego / Inside San Diego
San Diego, California – California entered a heightened state of alert Wednesday as Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency across multiple counties, warning that a series of powerful winter storms could unleash flooding, landslides, and debris flows just as the holiday season peaks.
The emergency declaration covers Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Shasta counties, where heavy rain and strong winds are expected to batter already saturated ground, particularly in Southern California regions scarred by recent wildfires.
“California is acting early and decisively to do all we can to get ahead of dangerous winter storms,” Newsom said in a statement. “The state has pre-positioned resources, activated emergency authorities, and we are working closely with local partners to protect communities and keep Californians safe.”
According to the governor’s proclamation, the storms — described as a series of atmospheric rivers beginning around Dec. 23 — pose an “extreme peril” to both life and property. High-intensity rainfall on already saturated soils raises the likelihood of rockslides, mudslides, urban flooding, and rapid rises in creeks and rivers across the affected counties.
The danger is especially acute in recently burned areas, including the Airport, Bridge, Line, Palisades, and Eaton fire burn scars. Officials warn that heavy rain falling on these unstable slopes could trigger fast-moving debris flows with little warning.
Ahead of the storms, the state has pre-deployed a sweeping array of emergency resources: 55 fire engines, 10 swiftwater rescue teams, five hand crews, heavy equipment including dozers and loaders, three helicopters, an incident management team, an urban search and rescue team, and more than 300 personnel staged across vulnerable regions.
The emergency proclamation allows for rapid mobilization of state resources under the California Disaster Assistance Act and authorizes the deployment of the California National Guard if conditions worsen. It also temporarily suspends certain procurement rules to speed emergency response and clears the way for Caltrans to seek federal aid for damaged roads and highways.
State officials emphasized that the scale of the storms could overwhelm local resources, requiring coordinated mutual aid across regions. Residents in affected areas were urged to heed evacuation warnings, avoid flooded roadways, and follow the directions of emergency officials as the storms move through.
