A Year of Fires and Floods in Southern California
The New York Times••nation
Key Points:
- In 2025, Southern California experienced two major natural disasters: devastating wildfires in January and severe floods with mudslides in December.
- The Christmas storm caused significant flooding and mudslides in the Los Angeles area, although the damage was less severe than the earlier wildfires.
- The close timing of these events highlights how extreme weather is increasingly impacting Southern California and challenging its image as a sunny paradise.
- Cultural historian D.J. Waldie emphasized the contrast between the idealized vision of Los Angeles and the harsh realities of its climate, noting that the city faces both fires and floods.
