Everywhere we drove for Christmas festivities, L.A. and Long Beach and Ventura and Sherman Oaks, we saw downed trees. Here's one high in a twisty Malibu canyon, where the shallow roots of this huge eucalyptus proved no match for a week of non-stop rain.

Someone used a chain saw, chopped the tree to pieces to create a path for cars to get by. The trick is to drive fast so you don't get trapped in the sticky depths of the muddy shoulder.