Los Angeles, California - At least two people have died and a five-year-old girl is missing as a winter storm continued to batter Southern California.

Heavy showers reached their peak on Saturday in large parts of Southern California after constant rainfall since Thursday evening. Flash flood and flood warnings were issued for the Los Angeles area and neighboring regions.

The missing girl and her father were swept into the sea by a huge wave on Friday at a beach about two hours' drive south of San Francisco, according to the Monterey County Sheriff's Office. The mother tried in vain to intervene, but ultimately saved herself from the water.

According to the statement, the father initially held on to his 5-year-old daughter's hand. He was later rescued from the water by rescuers and pronounced dead at the hospital. The search for the girl continues. The mother and her younger child, aged two, were unharmed.

The storm claimed at least one other victim. Near Sacramento, a 71-year-old man died after his vehicle was swept away by the floods, the New York Times reported, citing the local sheriff's office.

There was a threat of landslides and mudslides in areas that were ravaged by severe wildfires in January, since bare burned areas are particularly vulnerable to rain. In 2018, severe wildfires raged in the Santa Barbara area, followed by heavy rainfall. Mudslides and landslides destroyed hundreds of homes, killing more than 20 people.

By Saturday evening, eyewitnesses reported fallen trees, flooded roads, and small sinkholes.

There were no initial reports of major landslides or property damage. The storm churned up the sea and caused high waves on the beaches.

At the beginning of the year, two major fires, the Palisades Fire on the western edge of Los Angeles and the Eaton Fire near Pasadena and Altadena, destroyed more than 16,000 buildings.