California is ramping up emergency preparations as a powerful Pineapple Express storm targets Southern California ahead of Christmas, with officials warning of heavy rain, strong winds, flooding, and potential mudslides.
Governor Gavin Newsom says the state’s emergency response network is fully activated. Cal OES is coordinating across state agencies, while Caltrans crews are clearing storm drains and staging equipment in flood-prone areas. The Department of Water Resources has prepositioned sandbags statewide and readied stormwater-capture systems to both reduce flooding and boost water supplies. CHP is urging drivers to use extreme caution on wet roads and avoid travel during peak storm conditions, and CAL FIRE has crews and equipment on standby for emergency response.
Forecasters say the storm could make this one of the wettest Christmas weeks Southern California has seen in decades. There’s an 80% chance downtown Los Angeles will receive two inches or more of rain from Tuesday through Christmas Day — something that hasn’t happened since 1971…