A Flood Watch is in effect across much of Southern California ahead of a powerful late-December storm expected to peak during the Christmas travel window, with forecasters warning that heavy rainfall could trigger urban flooding, rapid runoff, and mud-and-debris flows—especially near recent burn scars.
The National Weather Service (NWS) San Diego office issued a Flood Watch covering Orange County (coastal and inland), the Inland Empire, mountain and desert communities, and parts of the Coachella Valley from 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, December 23 through 10:00 p.m. Wednesday, December 24.
BREAKING 🚨#OrangeCounty / #CaliforniaA Flood Watch has been issued for the majority of Southern California excluding San Diego County from 4:00 PM Tuesday through 10:00 PM Wednesday.A powerful winter storm is forecast to arrive Tuesday night through Christmas Day bringing… pic.twitter.com/DKe0yz6nsD
— OC Scanner 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 (@OC_Scanner) December 21, 2025
In parallel, NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard posted a Flood Watch for San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles counties from Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday evening, citing the likelihood of excessive rainfall and runoff…