After a harrowing and deadly Christmas Eve in California with rescues and evacuations amid widespread flooding and debris flow threats, another storm is battering the state Christmas Day, with more expected into Friday.

More than 41 million Americans across California, Nevada and Arizona are under flood watches on Wednesday amid a rare, high risk for excessive rainfall and flooding.

The Christmas rain storm expected to washout California over the next few days is already rearing it’s ugly head — as a debris flow ripped through the mountain town of Wrightwood in San Bernardino County early Wednesday.

Coastal communities in Southern California braced for more rain and flash floods even as a powerful Christmas storm began to ease on Thursday evening, with a state of emergency still in place for Los Angeles and neighboring counties.

Officials in Los Angeles and surrounding counties warned that the giant holiday storm could trigger "widespread flash flooding."

The storms - which were expected to continue through Friday - brought 11 inches (27 cms) of rainfall to some parts of Los Angeles County, prompted evacuations and shut down major roads. Emergency responders have had to perform several rescues,