A shelter-in-place order remained in effect Thursday for the small community of Wrightwood in the San Gabriel Mountains of Southern California, which bore the brunt of the holiday atmospheric river that inundated the region with up to 10 inches of rain in just over a day.
Firefighters rescued several people trapped in vehicles Wednesday after mud and debris rushed down Highway 2, leaving many other roads impassable. Crews also went door to door checking homes. Thankfully, no serious injuries or deaths were reported in the San Gabriel Mountains or greater Los Angeles area as of Christmas morning.
“Do not drive around the community as you slow emergency services from completing assessments,” warned San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Capt. Ken Lutz. An evacuation warning remained in effect for Wrightwood from Pine Street to the Los Angeles County line.
While much of the concern ahead of the storm focused on recent wildfire burn scars in Los Angeles and Orange counties — namely the Palisades, Eaton, Sunset and Airport burn areas — it was 2024’s Bridge Fire near Wrightwood that has produced the most severe debris flows so far.
Janice Quick, president of the Wrightwood Chamber of Commerce and a resident for 45 years, told The Associated Press that the fire left much of the terrain without tree coverage, making the area more vulnerable to flooding.
A car sits buried in mud after flooding Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025, in Wrightwood, Calif. (AP Photo/Wally Skalij)
Damage is seen to a closed California State Route 138 after flooding Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025, outside of Wrightwood, Calif. (AP Photo/Wally Skalij)
A trashcan lies stuck in mud on California State Route 2 after flooding Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025, in Wrightwood, Calif. (AP Photo/Wally Skalij)
Part of California State Route 138 washes away from flooding Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025, outside of Wrightwood, Calif. (AP Photo/Wally Skalij)
An evacuation order was also issued for Lytle Creek, another mountain community.
Travis Guenther and his family were stranded in Lytle Creek after raging waters washed out the only bridge in or out of their neighborhood. More than a dozen neighbors took shelter at a community center or booked hotel rooms.
“Everybody that left to go to work this morning is stuck,” Guenther 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 coordinating with others in the community of about 280 people. Two nurses who live on his street offered to help anyone needing medical attention.
Wrightwood had received more than 9 inches of rain as of Christmas morning, among the highest totals in Southern California. The more heavily populated areas of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and Ventura counties saw rainfall ranging from 2 to 6 inches.
The National Weather Service warned that more flooding is likely before the worst of the atmospheric river event tapers off.
“Two more impulses will move through the area Thursday and Friday and will bring periods of showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms,” the Weather Service said. “The potential for flooding will be high during this period. Any rainfall that occurs will immediately turn to runoff.”
The storm is already blamed for two deaths statewide. 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.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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