At least 6 dead, 5-year-old missing as powerful atmospheric river pounds California
At least 6 fatalities have been reported as of Sunday, November 16, 2025, as a powerful atmospheric river continues to impact California. With heavy rainfall of up to 200 mm (8 inches) being forecast, authorities are preparing for the threat of flash floods, landslides, debris flows across the state.
Image credit: Sophia Smith
A strong atmospheric river is affecting California, producing heavy rainfall, rapid runoff, mountain snow and widespread flooding.
At least 6 people have been confirmed dead as of Sunday, with several additional weather-related incidents under investigation. The system is driven by a concentrated plume of Pacific moisture lifting into the state.
A father lost his life after trying to rescue his 5-year-old daughter from the ocean on Friday, November 14. The family was at Garrapata State Beach along Highway 1 in California when the child was pulled out by waves estimated between 4.5–6 m (15– 20 feet) high.
The father tried to rescue his daughter, but the pair were swept out together, with the father holding his daughter’s hand.
According to the Monterrey County Sheriff’s office, an off-duty State Parks Peace Officer/Lifeguard saw a family in distress and approached the scene.
The mother was on the shore and attempted to reach out, but was also brought into the water in the process. She was able to make it back to shore on her own. The off-duty officer was able to reach the father and pull him to shore, where he administered CPR.
Both the mother and father were taken to a local hospital, where the father was pronounced deceased, reported Fox Weather. This marks the first death caused by the weather system off California’s coast.
The mother was listed in stable condition with signs of hypothermia. The 5-year-old child remains missing, and was last seen wearing a red shirt. The search is still ongoing.
A 71-year-old man died in Northern California after his vehicle was swept off a flooded bridge, according to the California Highway Patrol. Off the Southern California coast, a wooden vessel believed to be carrying migrants capsized in rough, storm-driven seas, resulting in four deaths and four hospitalizations, reported Associated Press.
Flooded roads, stranded vehicles and downed trees have been reported in multiple counties. Coastal Santa Barbara County recorded more than 100 mm (4 inches) of rainfall early Friday, with accumulations rising through the weekend.
Forecast rainfall totals through Monday night are 75–200 mm (3–8 inches) in the hills and mountains of Southern California, with at least 25 mm (1 inch) expected in lower elevations.
Snow is forecast above approximately 2 130 m (7 000 ft) in the Sierra Nevada, where winter travel hazards are likely. The highest rainfall rates and flood potential are expected from Sunday into early Monday as successive pulses of moisture reach saturated soils.
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References:
1 Short Range Forecast Discussion – NWS – November 16, 2025
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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