by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
SACRAMENTO/LOS ANGELES (Worthy News) – A powerful atmospheric-river storm has drenched California, breaking rainfall records and causing deadly incidents — yet authorities warn the danger is far from over in the U.S. state.
At least seven people have died in storm-related incidents, including a Canadian father and his young daughter, who were swept into the ocean by towering 15-foot (4.6-meter) waves at a Monterey County beach. The girl’s body was recovered Sunday after days of searches, officials said.
A 71-year-old man also died north of Sacramento when his vehicle was swept off a flooded bridge in Sutter County, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Flood advisories remained in effect Sunday across Los Angeles, Ventura, and Santa Barbara counties, where saturated hillsides — many recently scorched by wildfires — are at heightened risk of mudslides and debris flows.
RECORD RAINFALL AND RISING DANGERS
The National Weather Service (NWS) warned that because the ground is drenched from days of heavy downpours, even moderate rainfall could trigger new flooding or rockslides. “It will not take much additional rain to produce hazardous conditions,” the agency said.
The storm shattered records in several regions. In Santa Barbara County, rainfall totals reached nearly 10 inches (25 centimeters) between November 1 and 17 — the wettest November since 1889, according to state climate data.
In Yosemite Valley, the Merced River hit its highest November streamflow since 1973, fueled by runoff from the atmospheric river system.
Emergency crews across the state have been busy clearing roads, rescuing stranded motorists, and responding to rockslides on mountain highways.
Forecasters warn that another storm system could arrive later this week, prolonging the threat of flash flooding and landslides in vulnerable areas.
MUDSLIDE RISKS IN BURN-SCAR ZONES
Authorities say the most significant danger remains in mountainous terrain scorched during recent wildfire seasons. Burn scars leave soil unstable, meaning entire slopes can give way suddenly during intense or repeated rainfall.
In Los Angeles County’s canyon regions, crews reported small slides already occurring near Malibu and in the San Gabriel Mountains, with larger failures possible if the area receives heavier rainfall.
California officials urged residents in high-risk zones to follow evacuation orders, avoid driving through flooded roads, and stay updated on weather alerts.
The storm has also disrupted some travel flows across the state, including delays on coastal highways and temporary closures of roads prone to rockslides.
Despite the dangers, hydrologists said the rainfall delivered much-needed water to reservoirs and drought-stressed regions — though the immediate focus remains on public safety.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
Israel expanded its military campaign against Hezbollah on Monday, striking more than 70 targets across Lebanon as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to increase pressure on the Iranian-backed terror group following a sharp rise in drone and rocket attacks on northern Israel.
A federal appeals court is weighing whether Kansas City can use its public accommodation ordinance to require Christian counselors to counsel gay married couples despite the counselors’ biblical convictions on marriage and sexuality.
Tens of thousands of evangelical Christians gathered in the Netherlands for one of Europe’s largest multi-day Christian events, with organizers and participants expressing hopes for spiritual revival in the nation and across Europe.
President Donald Trump pushed back Monday against sharp criticism from Republicans and former administration officials over a potential U.S.-Iran agreement, insisting that any final accord must prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon or it will not be signed.
President Donald Trump said Monday that countries involved in negotiations over Iran should be required to join the Abraham Accords, signaling that the White House is seeking to turn a possible Iran agreement into a wider regional realignment that includes normalization with Israel.
Tensions remained high in Serbia’s capital Belgrade on Sunday after at least tens of thousands of people demanded elections and rallied against what they view as the increasingly authoritarian rule of President Aleksandar Vučić, with violence erupting after the protest and more than 20 people arrested.
Investigations were ongoing Sunday into the killing of three senior Kuki-Thadou Christian church leaders by unidentified gunmen in India’s northeastern Manipur State, Christian investigators told Worthy News.