A powerful storm is turning roads into rivers while triggering torrential mudslides as apocalyptic scenes sweep southern California on Christmas Eve.
The holiday period is forecast to be a washout for the Golden State this year, with meteorologists warning that up to eight inches of rain is expected to hit several areas including Los Angeles County and Santa Barbara over the next four days.
California officials have warned holiday travelers to avoid the roads due to the series of winter storms which are continuing to bring flash flooding and even tornadoes.
Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Shasta counties as the winds and rain intensified.
Storms began to move in late Tuesday evening and were expected to intensify throughout Christmas Eve, while a ‘clipper’ weather system is due to submerge much of the West Coast and Midwest in rain and snow on Christmas Day.
Los Angeles will be especially hard hit, with a severe flood warning in place for the area until 12pm on Wednesday. Hundreds of residents in at-risk neighborhoods have been warned to ‘immediately move to higher ground’ and evacuate their homes.
Authorities said the millions of people expected to travel across California for the holidays will likely meet hazardous, if not impossible, conditions as several atmospheric rivers were forecast to make their way through the state.
‘If you’re planning to be on the roads for the Christmas holidays, please reconsider your plans,’ said Ariel Cohen, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Los Angeles, during a Tuesday news conference.