Wrightwood residents fill local hardware store after floods heavily damage area

(26 Dec 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Wrightwood, California -- 26 December 2025
1. Tight of generator
2. Wide of inside of Mountain Hardware
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Faulkner, manager of Mountain Hardware:
"Let's see, we survived the blizzard of 2023. We survived the fires of 2024, and now the flooding of 2025, so Wrightwood strong."
4. "Wrightwood Strong" sign, person walking in
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Faulkner, manager of Mountain Hardware:
"So today, I mean, we tried to open as quick as we could. We opened today. We are running off a generator. So just like the rest of the town, the power's been out probably up till Tuesday. But today, people are coming in for different items, fire starting things, logs, wood. Propane is a big popular one, tarps. Things like that, anything weather related, that's what they're coming in for and we're here to provide that for them today."
6. People in store
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Faulkner, manager of Mountain Hardware:
"But as far as like just impact on the town as a whole, this is probably the worst I've seen. "
8. Faulkner using flashlight to help customers
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Manny Simpson, a Wrightwood resident of 14 years:
"This is the worst I've ever seen since we've been here. We had some flooding in our downstairs, but we got it under control pretty fast, so we're good to go."
10. Wide of store, people
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Manny Simpson, a Wrightwood resident of 14 years:
"We have a downstairs and the water came in and we were backed up too high and it still came over the top and so we got it, had a Shop vac to vacuum up all water and mud and everything so we're all good down there but my garage is not looking too good. But I've seen some other houses and I feel good about what happened, so we're good."
12. Man checking out
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Manny Simpson, a Wrightwood resident of 14 years:
"You know, we like it here so much we're never going to move no matter what happens. We've had to evacuate three or four times and we've been through it all and we're still here so we're not moving."
14. People checking out
STORYLINE:
Powerful winter storms brought the wettest Christmas season to Southern California this week. Relentless winds and rain also triggered widespread debris flows and left homes halfway filled with mud.

Rains were expected to ease Friday afternoon but there's still a risk of flash flooding near Los Angeles. Officials say firefighters rescued over 100 people Thursday night in Los Angeles County.

Homes and cars in a mountain town were covered in rocks, debris and thick mud, and roads were washed out.

The storms were the result of atmospheric rivers and were blamed for several deaths this week. 

In Wrightwood, a 5,000-resident mountain town about 80 miles (130 kilometers) northeast of Los Angeles, the roads turned into rivers when relentless rains came down Wednesday, residents said. On Friday, cars were still buried up to their windows in rocks, debris and thick mud.

Most residents lost power and many were buying fire starters, logs and propane for generators to keep warm, said Eric Faulkner, manager of Mountain Hardware.

"Anything weather related, that's what they're coming in for and we're here to provide that for them today."

Manny Simpson, a Wrightwood resident of 14 years, said the storms were the worst he's seen. His basement was flooded, but he was still counting himself lucky.

“I've seen some other houses and I feel good about what happened to me," he said.

AP video shot by Ty Oneil
Production: Carrie Antlfinger



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