Catastrophic Christmas storms leave 3 dead in California as heavy rain continues

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Southern parts of California have seen excessive rainfall since before Christmas. As major storms swept through the state, three people have been reported dead, with more rainfall expected till Saturday, December 27. 

Those who lost their lives during the flash floods included Deputy James Caravallo, Richard Michael Wilsey, and Roberto Ruiz, as reported by NBC News. The publication also reported that at least “32 million” people were still under flood watches across California. 

Tragedies strike Sacramento, Shasta and San Diego communities

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office announced Deputy James Caravallo’s demise on Wednesday. They wrote on their social media pages that he had been "tragically killed” in a solo vehicle car crash.

The Sheriff’s department described the late deputy as “a dedicated employee” who had served with them for almost two decades. They also asked the public to keep Caravallo’s and the Sheriff’s Office family in their “thoughts and prayers.”

NBC San Diego reported on the death of Roberto Ruiz, who passed away due to a 30-foot-long log falling on him in City Heights.

The Fire Department told NBC 7 that Ruiz was in his “60s to 70s” and went into cardiac arrest after the branch fell on him.

Ruiz’s daughter-in-law, Zenaida, told the outlet that the family had been complaining to the city about the tree for over five years.

“Nothing was ever done, so I feel like San Diego failed,” she added. 

The Shasta County Coroner’s office confirmed the identity of a man who passed away on Sunday, as Richard Michael Wilsey.

The Sheriff’s office revealed that Wilsey called 911 after being trapped in his car as water continued to pour in.

When the police reached the scene, they pulled Wilsey out of the car and performed “life-saving measures” as per Mayor Mike Littau, but it was too late.

National Weather Service provides update for California storm 

The National Weather Service took to X to provide the public with an update on Christmas Day about the ongoing storms and floods in California.

The post read that an “atmospheric river” would wind down across California with “lingering heavy rainfall,” mountain snow, and gusty winds.

It added that heavy snow was also expected in the Cascades and Rockies and that the mix of freezing rain, sleet and snow would cause “hazardous travel conditions” for the Great Lakes into the northern Mid-Atlantic and southern New England through Saturday morning.

The NWS  issued another update on Friday. The X post read that all flash flood warnings had been “cancelled as of 6 AM.” However, several counties, including “SLO, SBA, VTA AND LA Counties,” remained under flood advisories and flood watches.

“Moderate to locally heavy rain still poses a risk through the day,” the post concluded.