Debris flows brought on by the strongest atmospheric river of the season swept a car off a southern California highway and into the ocean and left roads submerged in sludge.

A climate scientist has said that while the area of Southern California is desperate for rain, this storm might bring too much too quickly.

For the second time this year, Southern Californians are evacuating their homes as heavy rain threatens new destruction in places still recovering from last month’s devastating wildfires.