A powerful winter storm driven by a rapidly intensifying cyclone was sweeping east from the Plains on Sunday, bringing heavy snow, ice, rain and severe weather expected to affect much

Several days of rain and powerful wind gusts are in the forecast this week when a winter storm has already led to evacuation warnings in parts of Los Angeles County settles into Southern California for the holiday.

Heavy rain and flash flooding already led to water rescues and at least one death in Northern California, local officials said. Shasta County Sheriff Michael L. Johnson on Monday declared a state of emergency to prepare for more rain and allow the state to help with hazard mitigation and search and rescue operations.

The region's wet Christmas is expected to continue through the weekend, though forecasters said Wednesday was expected to be the most intense day of rain.

A California storm on Christmas Eve caused flooding and mudslides, and prompted evacuations, power outages, and travel warnings as heavy rains hit the region.

An emphasis has been placed on burn scar areas that are more susceptible to flooding, mudslides and debris flows.

Officials in Los Angeles and surrounding counties warned that the giant holiday storm could trigger "widespread flash flooding."

Another wave of rain soaked parts of Southern California early Friday morning with more wet weather in the forecast. Flood watches were in effect for parts of the region, where already soaked hillsides prone to slides are picking up additional moisture from the storm fueled by an atmospheric river.

A flood watch remained for the Bay Area after the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning overnight until 6 a.m.

A slow-moving storm is dumping more rain on an already saturated Southern California Friday, prompting debris flow concerns and flooding a major Los Angeles freeway. The heaviest rain from the