Flash flood, thunderstorm alerts in effect for California with heavy rain expected to last days
Life-threatening flood threat. ABC News
(LOS ANGELES) — More than 41 million Americans across California, southern Nevada and northwest Arizona are under flood watches on Wednesday amid a rare, high risk for excessive rainfall and flooding.
This includes major metros like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, California, San Diego and Las Vegas.
A “High Risk for excessive rainfall” is in place for Los Angeles, including I-10 from San Bernardino to Santa Monica and areas north like Highway 101 to Thousand Oaks, I-5 to Burbank, Santa Clarita, and up to Pyramid Lake and all of I-210. Travel on these roads is not recommended as they may become flooded, officials said. Low-lying neighborhoods in these areas could also become flooded, forecasts show.
Being under a “High Risk” designation is rare. This risk is only issued about 4% of days, accounting for one-third of all flood-related fatalities and 80% of all flood-related damages, according to the NWS.
Potential flooding impacts include the threat of significant and widespread urban roadway flooding, a high risk of major rock/mudslides, and rapid rises in creeks, streams and rivers which will likely lead to swift water rescues.
The recent burn scars will be at risk of possibly damaging debris flows. These flooding impacts will likely lead to significant travel delays and road closures during the busy holiday travel period.
Winds are forecast to gust 40 to 50 mph across the area, potentially leading to power outages on Wednesday, according to forecasts. Thunderstorms are also possible.
The heaviest rain is expected on Wednesday morning and afternoon. Rainfall rates of 1 inch per hour or greater are expected.
By 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. PT, the rain will be coming to a brief end before more rain arrives overnight.
Additional rounds of rain are expected on Thursday and Friday, and the flood threat along with mudslides and landslide risks will continue each day as well.
Savannah Guthrie and mother Nancy Guthrie on Thursday, June 15, 2023. (Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — The urgent search for Nancy Guthrie, the mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, has entered its fifth day, as her children continue to plead for her safe return.
Nancy Guthrie is believed to have been abducted in her sleep from her Arizona home early Sunday, authorities said. No suspect or person of interest has been identified in the case, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said during a press briefing on Thursday.
“Right now, we believe Nancy is still out there,” Nanos said. “We want her home.”
Nanos confirmed Nancy Guthrie’s blood was found on her porch.
Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen at her home in the Catalina Foothills area, north of Tucson, on Saturday night, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. Her family reported her missing on Sunday around noon local time after she failed to show up to church, authorities said.
Savannah Guthrie and her siblings made an emotional plea for their mother’s return in a video message posted to social media on Wednesday.
“Everyone is looking for you, Mommy, everywhere,” Savannah Guthrie said in the video message. “We will not rest. Your children will not rest until we are together again.”
Nancy Guthrie is described as having some physical ailments and limited mobility, but does not have cognitive issues, according to the sheriff. She takes medication that if she doesn’t have in 24 hours, “it could be fatal,” Nanos said.
“Our mom is our heart and our home,” Savannah Guthrie said in the video. “She is 84 years old, her health, her heart is fragile. She lives in constant pain. She is without any medicine. She needs it to survive. She needs it not to suffer.”
The sheriff’s department said it is reviewing possible ransom notes as part of the investigation. ABC Tucson affiliate KGUN said it received one of the letters, which it forwarded to law enforcement. Officials say they are investigating if any of these letters are legitimate.
Addressing reports of a ransom letter, Savannah Guthrie said Wednesday, “As a family, we are doing everything that we can. We are ready to talk. However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated. We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you and we are ready to listen. Please reach out to us.”
The FBI is helping in the investigation. The agency is sending additional agents and experts to Pima County to help reinforce efforts on the ground and to aid local investigators, sources told ABC News on Wednesday.
Nanos said earlier this week that investigators were waiting to get surveillance footage from the home’s security cameras from the companies that own them.
A Google spokesperson confirmed to ABC News on Thursday that the company, which is behind Nest home security cameras, is assisting law enforcement in the investigation. The spokesperson declined to elaborate, citing the ongoing investigation.
Anyone with information is urged to call 911 or the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at 520-351-4900.
Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies before the House Judiciary Committee, February 11, 2026 in Washington. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — The Justice Department’s failure this week to convince a grand jury to hand up an indictment against six members of Congress is the latest stumbling block faced by prosecutors as they seek to rebuke the administration’s perceived political opponents.
The U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, D.C., was unable to secure an indictment against six congressmembers after President Donald Trump called for them to be arrested and tried for posting a video on social media telling military service members that they could refuse illegal orders, sources said Tuesday.
Following a classified briefing on the deadly strikes on alleged drug boats in Latin America, Sen. Mark Kelly, Sen. Elissa Slotkin, Rep. Maggie Goodlander, Rep. Jason Crow, Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, and Rep. Chris DeLuzio, all former members of the military and intelligence community, posted a video in November telling current members that — per the Uniform Code of Military Justice — they should refuse to carry out unlawful orders.
“Each one of these traitors to our Country should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL,” Trump posted to social media in response to the video on Nov. 20.
Prosecutors under U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro sought to convince a grand jury to indict the six lawmakers, but the panel did not comply.
It is exceedingly rare for a grand jury to not indict after prosecutors have made their presentation. In fiscal year 2016, the most recent year for which figures are available from the DOJ’s Bureau of Justice Statistics, the DOJ sought federal charges against 69,451 felony defendants — and in only six cases did a grand jury return a vote of no bill, indicating a refusal to indict.
Yet the current Justice Department has faced this outcome several times in recent months while attempting to prosecute perceived foes of the president’s agenda.
“This is pretty rare for a prosecutor to want an indictment and not get one,” University of Illinois Professor Andrew Leipold, an expert on the federal judiciary system, told ABC News. “The most obvious answer is that the government is being aggressive in prosecuting federal crimes, and grand juries are simply not in agreement.”
Vice President JD Vance has said that any such actions are “driven by law and not by politics.”
After a federal judge in November dismissed the cases the Justice Department had brought against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, the DOJ again sought an indictment of the New York AG.
The move came after U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie ruled that that the appointment of Trump’s handpicked interim U.S. attorney, Lindsey Halligan, was unconstitutional and that Halligan acted in an “unlawful” and “ineffective” manner when she brought charges of making false statements against Comey and mortgage fraud charges against James.
Ten days after Judge Cameron’s ruling, a federal grand jury in Norfolk, Virginia, refused to indict James on the same charges when the Justice Department attempted to refile the case, according to sources.
A second grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia’s Alexandria branch then rejected the charges when the DOJ attempted to file the case for a third time.
“This unprecedented rejection makes even clearer that this case should never have seen the light of day,” James’ attorney, Abbe Lowell, said in a statement.
Last August, D.C. prosecutors failed to secure an indictment against a man accused of throwing a sandwich at a Customs and Border Protection agent after video of the confrontation went viral and provoked an all-out public relations blitz from the White House and Justice Department touting his arrest and the federal assault charge against him.
Sean Charles Dunn was arrested on charges of allegedly throwing a Subway sandwich at a CBP agent who was patrolling with Metro Transit Police in northwest Washington on the night of Aug. 9, amid the Trump administration’s deployment of National Guard troops in the capital.
“You f—— fascists! Why are you here? I don’t want you in my city!” Dunn is alleged to have shouted at the CBP officer before allegedly throwing the sandwich, which struck the officer in the chest.
Prosecutors similarly failed to convince a federal grand jury in D.C. to indict a woman who was accused by the government of assaulting an FBI agent during an inmate swap with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The U.S. attorney’s office was unable to secure an indictment against Sidney Reid despite making three separate attempts, according to court records.
ABC News’ Alexander Mallin and Katherine Faulders contributed to this report.
Ford Explorer SUVs are parked for sale at a dealership on June 12, 2019, in Glendale, California. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Ford is recalling up to 119,000 vehicles because the engine block heater could short circuit and cause a fire, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The recall includes certain 2019 and 2024 Ford Explorers and 2016-2018 Ford Focus vehicles, as well as 2013–2019 Ford Escape, 2013–2018 Ford Focus, and 2015–2016 Lincoln MKC vehicles with 2.0L engines, NHTSA noted.
People can determine if their vehicle is included in the recall by entering their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on the NHTSA website.
“The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in… An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire,” NHTSA said in its recall documents.
The risk only occurs when the heater is plugged in, the agency said.
Signs of an issue could include coolant spots on the ground, loss of cabin heat, powertrain unit overheating or a warning for a low coolant level, the documents noted. The issue could also cause heat damage to the electrical wiring, which could lead to the smell of smoke, according to NHTSA.
Ford said owners should not plug in the block heater until the remedy is completed. Interim owner notification letters will go out Feb. 9.
“Ford is currently developing a newly designed engine block heater element,” the company said in a statement sent to ABC News. “Once parts are available, Ford will notify customers to visit a dealer for a free replacement.”
It also highlighted “an alternative remedy” for people who would like to disable the vehicle’s block heater.
“For those customers that choose this option, a Ford dealer will remove the block heater element and install a threaded plug free of charge,” it noted in the statement. The heater cord will be stowed for the customer until the redesigned element is available for installation.”
As of Dec. 3, Ford reported to NHTSA they were aware of 12 Ford Escape 2.0L owners alleging fires from this condition. They are not aware of any accidents or injuries related to the issue.
