Deadly storm strikes Southern California, kills 1 with 22 million affected over weekend

A powerful Pacific storm hammered Southern California over the weekend, killing one man and flooding communities from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles, ABC News reported Sunday.

Authorities said evacuation orders across Los Angeles County were lifted late Saturday, though dangerous conditions persist. "Although rain is still impacting the region, the worst of the storms has moved through," said LA County Fire Department Capt. Brian Kight.

The system affected an estimated 22 million people, delivering two intense rounds of rainfall, the first early Saturday morning and the second between 11 am (1900GMT) and 4 pm (2400GMT), according to ABC News.

In Sutter County, a 71-year-old man died Friday when rising water swept his car off the Pleasant Grove Creek Bridge, the California Highway Patrol told the media outlet.

Officials said two to three feet of water had overflowed the roadway following sustained downpours.

Wildfire burn scar regions remained a top concern, with meteorologists warning they are "extremely prone to flash flooding, mudslides and debris flows."

But the threat extended well beyond those areas, with saturated soils across Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties expected to receive 4 to 6 inches of rain -- far above Los Angeles' 0.8-inch November average.

While the heaviest rainfall tapered off Saturday night, forecasters said an unsettled pattern will linger into early next week, keeping risks of flash flooding, mudslides and landslides elevated as additional rain falls on already vulnerable terrain.