The heaviest rains from an atmospheric river storm are still to come through Wednesday evening, with some locally heavier downpours possible, forecasters said.
Rain is expected to fall at rates between a half-inch to an inch per hour during the holiday storm, which includes high winds. The conditions may have contributed to a man’s death in City Heights and already prompted widespread power outages in San Diego County on Christmas Eve.
The storm moved into Southern California Wednesday, causing authorities to issue a flood watch that will be in effect for county coastal areas, valleys, mountains and deserts through early Thursday morning.
A wind advisory continues until 10 p.m. Wednesday. Gusts of up to 40 mph are possible in San Diego County coastal areas and valleys.
Those winds are believed to have a played a role in a man’s death in City Heights Wednesday morning. Part of a tree fell on him near the corner of Marlborough Avenue and Wightman Street.
San Diego Fire-Rescue Capt. Jason Shanley said said family members attempted unsuccessfully to free the victim prior to the arrival of police and firefighters. City arborists were called to the scene to cut the tree, reportedly 75-feet-tall, into large pieces so the victim could be extricated. Part of that same tree also fell on a nearby home, but did not cause any other injuries.
In addition, up to 10,000 people were without power. The storm caused outages in several communities, including Clairemont, Hillcrest, Mission Hills, Mission Valley, Ocean Beach, Paradise Hills, Del Mar, Encinitas, Lemon Grove, National City and Chula Vista, according to San Diego Gas & Electric.
The majority of the outages began between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. The utility indicated that for several areas power would be restored by 7 p.m. For others, there still is no estimated time for the lights to be back on.
Multiple motorists on San Diego County freeways also reported hazards such as tree limbs and other debris in lanes of traffic. In La Jolla, the California Highway Patrol said there is flooding at Interstate 5 and La Jolla Parkway and in Coronado, police asked drivers to avoid Park Place and Star Park Place due to electrical wires being down.
Shanley said San Diego police and firefighting crews were “really busy all over” responding to felled trees and other storm-related emergencies while preparing for anticipated rescues during possible flooding.
The conditions led Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency in multiple California counties, including San Diego, due to the potential risks brought on by heavy rainfall and strong winds.
Officials also kept inclement weather shelters in San Diego open for a second straight day due to the storm.
The shelter locations that are open:
- Living Water Church of the Nazarene, 1550 Market St. Up to 28 adults; check-in at 8 p.m. with reservations. On-site reservations are from 1-4 p.m. check-out at 6:30 a.m.
- Joan Kroc Center, 1501 Imperial Ave. Up to 61 adults with an additional 11 beds for families with minors and/or single women. Check-in starts at 4 p.m. and lasts through the night until check-out at 5 a.m.
- Paul Mirabile Center, 1501 Imperial Ave. Room for up to 62 adults with check-in at 4 p.m., through the night until check-out at 5 a.m.
NWS forecasters said that after Wednesday’s heavy rainfall, showers were expected through Friday before drying out by the weekend.
City News Service contributed to this report.
Updated 5:05 Dec. 24, 2025
