As Christmas 2025 approaches, communities on both sides of the Atlantic are bracing for a holiday marked by the threat—and, for many, the harsh reality—of severe storms and flooding. From the sun-dappled, soon-to-be-soaked streets of Santa Clara County, California, to the waterlogged homes of Wales and the battered businesses of Monmouth, the festive season is unfolding under a cloud of uncertainty, resilience, and communal action.
In Santa Clara County, the calm before the storm is palpable. According to ABC7, blue skies and scattered clouds gave way to mounting concern as Valley Water prepared for a wet Christmas. "Our teams are making sure that the creeks are flowing, that our flashing areas are in good shape, but mostly we're just looking at minor risk going through this holiday season," said Valley Water Public Relations Representative Paola Reyes. She encouraged residents to stay vigilant and register for emergency alerts with Alert SCC, a precaution that feels increasingly necessary as forecasts predict rain and wind sweeping through the region on December 24.
While the South Bay is expected to fare better than the East and North Bay, officials and meteorologists alike are urging simple but crucial preparations: clear storm drains, secure holiday decorations, and heed weather warnings. Yet, for the county's unhoused population, the stakes are much higher. Shaunn Cartwright, an advocate with the Unhoused Response Group, painted a stark picture: "We're going to fill up the U-haul with all the warm stuff that we have and take it out there to make sure that people are as warm and dry as possible to prevent death." The urgency is not unfounded—over 150 unhoused residents died in Santa Clara County in 2025, a number commemorated in a somber annual service. "The majority of the people who died are never going to get a tombstone, this is the only tombstone that they're going to get and it's important to recognize them," Cartwright reflected. Garth Pickett of the Silicon Valley Interreligious Council echoed the sentiment: "Lives matter, they matter and this is our way of showing that."
The threat of exposure grows as the weather worsens. Cartwright warned, "If you look at the coroner's dashboard, the numbers are going up and up almost every day. And that's a sign that people exposed to weather are dying." Should the storm meet certain criteria, Santa Clara County is prepared to declare inclement weather, opening warming centers and mobilizing additional support in a bid to prevent further tragedy.
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, the mood is tense as city officials and the National Weather Service (NWS) issue dire warnings about a powerful storm set to unleash life-threatening flash flooding. As reported by FOX Weather, the NWS has placed parts of Los Angeles, Ventura, and Santa Barbara counties under the highest risk level for flash floods through Christmas Eve. "A dangerous scenario is unfolding," the NWS cautioned, highlighting the rarity and severity of such warnings. The region, home to more than 12 million people, is bracing for three to five inches of rain in just 24 hours, with mudslides and debris flows expected—particularly in areas scarred by January's wildfires.
Evacuation warnings have been issued for neighborhoods near burn scars, and sandbags are being distributed to vulnerable communities. The Los Angeles Fire Department and Department of Public Works are working overtime to inform and protect residents, while the FOX Forecast Center notes the possibility of severe thunderstorms and even tornadoes as the storm intensifies. Wind gusts could reach 80 mph along the coast, compounding the hazards. "High Risk" flood threats, as the Weather Prediction Center notes, are rare but disproportionately deadly, accounting for 39% of flood-related fatalities and 83% of damages in the continental U.S. The message is clear: vigilance and preparation are essential, especially as holiday travel snarls and mountain passes face closures due to heavy snow.
Across the Atlantic in Wales, the Christmas spirit is being tested in far more personal ways. In Pontargothi, Carmarthenshire, Claire Gooding and her daughters are preparing to spend Christmas Eve camping in their water-damaged home after back-to-back floods in November and December. The River Cothi, swollen by heavy rain and choked with debris, inundated her property—first to waist level, then to mid-thigh. "I'm 43 and I don't have a tea towel or iron to my name, let alone a birth certificate," Gooding told Nation.Cymru, her frustration tinged with a sense of helplessness. She and other residents believe the flooding was exacerbated by logs and debris piling up at Pontargothi bridge, acting like a "beaver dam" and causing the river to spill over its banks.
Efforts to address the problem are mired in bureaucracy. The South Wales Trunk Road Agency (SWTRA) clears debris when it's safe and has proposed installing rotating cylinders to divert logs from bridge supports. Yet, nine months after the plan was unveiled, planning approval is still pending, with a decision not expected until February 2026. In the meantime, properties like The Cresselly Arms pub, run by John Davison, continue to suffer. "You're talking about 50ft trees," Davison said, doubting the efficacy of the proposed debris sweepers. He reminisced about a time when silt and debris were cleared from the river by digger, lamenting the loss of maintenance and the impact of ash dieback disease on local trees. For many, insurance is unaffordable, and the prospect of further floods is a constant source of anxiety. "I'm back and fore to the river keeping an eye on the debris, and monitoring the river level and watching the weather forecast like a neurotic woman," Gooding admitted.
In Monmouth, the scars of recent record-breaking floods are visible everywhere. According to BBC News, the River Monnow surged to unprecedented levels, with the flow rate jumping from six tonnes per second to nearly 400. Amelia Raymond, her husband, and their four-year-old son are spending Christmas in rented accommodation after their home was flooded to chest height. "We didn't have any warning, I opened the front door—it was just a river outside, and there was nobody there," Raymond recalled. The family, like many others, lacks insurance and faces months of uncertainty. "Because we don't have insurance it's down to us," she said, noting that even those with coverage have been told it could be six months before they can return home.
Local businesses are also reeling. Jenny Chuter, who owns two shops in Monmouth, lost £10,000 in stock. "It's been very difficult, it's been very tricky, everyone's lost lots of stock, everyone's lost lots of work," she told the BBC. Yet, the community's determination shines through. "Christmas is the busiest time for most businesses... we're trying to tell people that there's lots still here in Monmouth, so please come and support us." The council has rolled out government-funded grants and free parking to help recovery efforts, while residents like 80-year-old Wendy Harris, who lost her car and furniture, praise the "amazing" response of neighbors and emergency services.
As the holiday unfolds, these stories of hardship, hope, and collective action remind us that while storms may test the limits of infrastructure and endurance, they also reveal the strength—and sometimes the shortcomings—of our communities and institutions. For many, Christmas 2025 will be less about celebration than survival, but the resolve to rebuild and support one another endures, come rain or shine.
