With heavy December rains causing road, infrastructure and beach damage, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday, Dec. 31, ratified an emergency proclamation that will expedite state and federal dollars to help reimburse costs for storm preparations and repairs.
During a special meeting, the board voted 5-0 to approve a previous emergency declaration made by board Chair and First District Supervisor Hilda Solis on Dec. 24 in coordination with a state measure signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
If the county’s costs from the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day rains, and rains on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day exceed $46 million, it will meet the threshold for state and federal help, said Kevin McGowan, director of the county’s Office of Emergency Management.
While Solis appeared skeptical about getting federal dollars from the Trump Administration, McGowan said his office is putting together a cost report that could reach $46 million, and sending it to state officials, who are working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Costs incurred include LA County Sheriff Department deputies going door-to-door with evacuation warning fliers in burn zones from the Palisades and Eaton fires nearly one year ago, as well as non-burn areas prone to flooding and debris flows.
Sheriff Robert Luna said his department used a new Citizens Evacuation Tracker system implemented in April as a result of the fires and evidence that showed many in Altadena did not get warnings to evacuate. In person “door knocking” occurred at targeted addresses identified by county departments as flood risks, Luna said.
Also, overtime from Department of Public Work crews who cleaned out debris basins to make room for additional flows make up a part of the preparation cost.
The storms resulted in flooded roadways and dangerous driving conditions, including the flooding of a portion of the 5 Freeway in the San Fernando Valley that closed down all lanes on the afternoon of Dec. 24.
Heavy rains — as much as 16 inches in some higher elevations — caused the death of one man trapped in a car overtaken by mud in Palmdale.
Solis pointed out that the problems from the Christmas time storms often occurred where the county least expected.
For example, a tornado touched down in Boyle Heights, a section of the city of Los Angeles, with wind speeds around 80 mph, she said. A tornado watch was issued for Alhambra, but it did not appear, despite strong winds and heavy rain in the west San Gabriel Valley city.
In East Los Angeles, 2,000 homes lost power, some for an extended period of time, Solis said.
LA County Fire Department rescued a person who fell into San Jose Creek near the 60 freeway at Fullerton Road in Rowland Heights, Solis said.
A large high-pressure natural gas line ruptured Saturday, Dec. 27 in Castaic, north of Santa Clarita, temporarily halting all traffic on the 5 Freeway. County officials said it most likely was the result of a landslide. Southern California Gas confirmed that gas leak was stopped.
Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger noted that some stores in Altadena that had reopened since the fire had some mud damage. She credited Department of Public Health which positioned K-rails at Loma Alta Drive that stopped mud flows from causing serious damage.
In the South Bay, runoff in flood control channels mixed with sewage water, two separate systems. But the heavy rains caused 100,000 gallons of sewage to spill into the ocean in San Pedro. As a result, Cabrillo Beach will remain closed Wednesday and Thursday due to high bacteria levels that can cause health problems if people make contact with ocean water or wet sand.
With Cabrillo Beach closed Thursday, Jan. 1, that means the annual Polar Bear New Year’s swim, which typically draws hundreds of people, will not take place. Fourth District Supervisor, who represents the South Bay, said she had purchased a new bathing suit and always looks forward to the plunge every New Year’s Day.
“In the wake of last week’s storm and sewage spill, testing by the Department of Public Health shows that bacteria levels are still high in the waters off Cabrillo Beach and any contact with the ocean could cause you serious illness,” Hahn wrote in a statement on Wednesday afternoon. “The beach will remain closed for at least the next few days, and I know that is a big disappointment to everyone who had been looking forward to this year’s New Year’s Day Polar Plunge.”
Barger said in essence that the most devastating fires in LA County history began the year on Jan. 7, 2025, and the end of the year concluded with the county experiencing extremely heavy rains from an atmospheric river event, with more rain coming Wednesday evening and Thursday.
“I don’t even want to say what’s next,” she said. “For 2025, don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”