Pre-deployed personnel, equipment, and resources in 20 counties across the state led to life-saving efforts:

• In Los Angeles County, urban search and rescue teams and swiftwater rescue teams worked to support 12 flood related incidents. One incident included a LAFD member who was swept off the road and into the ocean near Malibu.
• In Orange County, prepositioned swiftwater rescue teams and a prepositioned helicopter were instrumental in the rescue of 2 individuals.
• In San Bernardino County swiftwater rescue teams rescued multiple unhoused individuals along HWY 330 from rising water.
• In Riverside County, swiftwater rescue teams conducted multiple rescues of individuals including one individual and two dogs holding onto a tree in rising waters.
• In Mendocino County, Caltrans and State Parks personnel supported a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter conducting a rescue of a stranded motorist whose vehicle became stranded by rising waters.

Actions to pre-deploy resources 

• Cal OES pre-deployed flood fighting and debris flow resources to Los Angeles, Orange, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Marin, Lake, Monterey, Napa, San Mateo, Sonoma, Colusa, Glenn, Nevada, Tuolumne, Fresno, Kern, Tulare, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Riverside counties.
  • 114 Fire Engines
  • 10 Bulldozers
  • 4 Front Loaders
  • 4 Excavators
  • 1 Road Grader
  • 5 Helicopters
  • 11 Hand Crews
  • 55 Specialized Personnel
  • 18 Swiftwater Rescue Teams
  • 10 US&R Companies
  • 1 Regional Task Force
• 319,000 sandbags and 5,600 super sacks were deployed to Southern California locations through the Department of Water Resources (DWR).
• 242 total CAL FIRE engines deployed throughout the state to rapidly respond, including 109 engines CAL FIRE Southern Region and 133 engines CAL FIRE Northern Region. CAL FIRE also pre-positioned 22 crews.
• CalGuard proactively removed 298,335 cubic yards of debris and materials from the Sierra Madre Villa Basin and Eaton Canyon Reservoir.
• The Cal OES Watershed and Debris Flow Task Force deployed over 120 miles of protective measures:
  • 606,576 feet of compost sock.
  • 22,625 feet straw wattle.
  • 7,500 feet silt fence.
  • 7,960 feet of K-rail secured for use by local government partners.

“The close coordination between state, local, and federal partners played a critical role in protecting lives and property,” said Cal OES Director Nancy Ward. “This storm was another reminder that California must remain vigilant and ready to respond as our climate brings increasingly severe weather patterns.”

California leverages investments in real-time intelligence systems

The state-of-the-art ALERTCalifornia wildfire and disaster monitoring system operated by the University of California San Diego in partnership with Cal OES, CAL FIRE and other agencies provided real-time access to over 1,000 cameras strategically positioned across California.

During the storm, ALERTCalifornia played a critical role in situational awareness by enabling first responders and the public to assess rain conditions, debris flows, and make data-driven decisions to protect communities. 

Californians are encouraged to sign up for emergency alerts, review their evacuation plans, and heed warnings from local officials.