LOS ANGELES (CBS) — After nearly a week straight of heavy rain, Christmas shoppers are back at the malls with just two days to go till deadline.

Malls are bracing for a surge of last-minute shoppers, especially in Southern California, where residents were cooped up for days as storms pounded the region. Thursday is expected to be the second-biggest shopping day of the holiday season, after Black Friday.

SoCal Shoppers Eager To Get Back In Dry Malls: KNX 1070′s Ed Mertz reports.

At the Grove, shoppers, couples and families were happy to get a chance to see Santa, make some purchases and get fresh air Wednesday night.

Consumer Reports says Americans will spend an average of 15 hours on holiday shopping before the end of the season.

One recent survey found about a quarter of all consumers left at least some of their holiday shopping for the last week before Christmas.

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