Powerful holiday storm lashes Southern California and brings flash floods, mudslides

(24 Dec 2025) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS Altadena, California - 24 December 2025 1. SOUNDBITE (English) Michael Burdick, Altadena resident "we got some sandbags, but we figured with this whole downpour coming for the next couple of days, we have a pool, so the pool might overflow, and then plus we have all the debris from up there. Uh, from up in the fire area, so I was just like, I can go out, grab some sandbags, you know, just so we're safe cause our house is like a little bit lower, so it's on a slope, so the water can come in. So we've had that issue before. So, trying to keep my family, you know, like, uh, dry." 2. Michael Burdick filling sandbags in the rain in Altadena, California, amid severe weather conditions. 3. SOUNDBITE (English) : Michael Burdick, Altadena resident "Yeah, we, we, we're hosting everyone. So, you know, we're, we're going out for Christmas Eve. Still, it doesn't, we're not gonna let it affect us. But, you know, we got cameras, so we, we're gonna keep an eye on the house. But um, And that didn't really affect any any plans." 4. filling sandbags in Altadena, California, amid severe weather conditions. 5. SOUNDBITE (English) : Michael Burdick, Altadena resident "So, I'm not gonna lie, I'm a big guy, but I did cry cause we didn't know if we would come back to the house or not. Um, we were very, very lucky to come back to the house cause so it came down to about New York and hit a couple of houses, did a total 180, so it just kind of went above our house, like went right back up into the mountains, which sucks because I have friends who've lost their houses and They're rebuilding, but I mean, it's taking forever. They're in like this tiny shack now. But I asked my parents, um, they're like, no, we, we wouldn't move. We would stay here cause, you know, we've been here all our life and I don't, I don't picture myself, you know, leaving, but maybe in the future for work purposes, but right now, stay in your music with it." 6. Mid of a person in a hooded jacket inspecting sandbags in Altadena, California, amid severe weather conditions. 7. SOUNDBITE (English): Michael Burdick, Altadena resident "The, yeah, I've, I've been here, you know, we expected every January you know, the Santa Ana winds, but make sure this, this would be like kind of the first time, you know, at least we have rain this time. God forbid anything happen but it's uh well, I kind of got scared cause we woke up to a uh like a flash flood alert. It was, let me grab it right here. It says imminent threat warning, National Service, uh, it's basically a flash flood, so that kind of scared me, and I was like OK so that's kind of what prompted me to go outside, you know, put the sandbags up grab some water, so." 8. Mid of a person carrying sandbags in Altadena, California, amid severe weather conditions. 9. Mid of a person in a raincoat transporting sandbags on a cart beside a pool in Altadena, California during severe weather. 10. SOUNDBITE (English): Hubert Carr, Pasadena resident REPORTER: "So, uh, what made you wanna come get some sandbags? Hubert Carr: "Uh, because, uh, my lower, uh, basement area has flooded, so trying to take care of that." 11. Wide of vehicle entering sandbag distribution center in Altadena amid severe weather preparations. 12. SOUNDBITE (English): Hubert Carr, Pasadena resident "No, I'm just uh happy to uh be able to uh get the uh family back to take care of my, my father." 13. Wide of sandbags stacked in Altadena, California, amid severe weather preparations. STORYLINE: =========================================================== Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...