3 dead in catastrophic Christmas flooding in California, with more rain on the way

Three people are dead after major storms swept through California, dumping rain and leaving behind catastrophic flooding during the Christmas holiday — and even more rain is in the forecast

Three people are dead after major storms swept through California, dumping rain and leaving behind catastrophic flooding during the Christmas holiday — and even more rain is in the forecast.

One of the men who died in the floods was a sheriff’s deputy in Sacramento. The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said Deputy James Caravallo was killed in a solo vehicle crash on his way to work on Christmas Eve.

Richard Michael Wilsey, 74, from Redding, died on Sunday as a result of severe flooding, according to the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office.

Roberto Ruiz, a man in his 60s or 70s from San Diego, died Wednesday after a large tree branch fell on him, causing him to go into cardiac arrest, NBC San Diego reported. NBC News has not independently verified Ruiz’s death.

Wrightwood, California, which is east of Los Angeles, got nearly a foot of rain. One resident who lives in the area said he was shocked to wake up to a “river running through our property.” The floods reached homes and buried cars in mud.