LOS ANGELES (AP) — An unusually strong storm system called an atmospheric river has been dousing Southern California, prompting flood warnings in areas of coastal Los Angeles County that were recently devastated by wildfires.
The National Weather Service in Los Angeles and Oxnard reported intense rainfall Saturday, with rates reaching as high as an inch (2.5 centimeters) per hour in areas prone to flash flooding.
On Friday, over four inches of rain fell in coastal Santa Barbara County as the storm approached Los Angeles, and the National Weather Service urged residents to stay indoors due to the heavy winds.
The long plume of tropical moisture that originated from the Pacific Ocean began soaking the San Francisco Bay Area on Wednesday before unleashing widespread rain over Southern California on Friday and Saturday. More than a foot of snow was forecast for parts of the Sierra Nevada.
Flood warnings have been issued stretching from the coast of Ventura County, through Malibu, and into the City of Los Angeles.
In a Saturday morning social media post on X, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass stated, “Due to the risk of debris flows, an Evacuation Warning remains in effect for all areas around burn scars, and some vulnerable properties are under Evacuation Orders.”
Mandatory evacuation orders are in place for specific high-risk properties in the Palisades and Eaton fire burn areas from Friday evening through Sunday morning, with law enforcement tasked to encourage residents to evacuate these regions.
