Los Angeles faces mudslide risk with heavy rains, warning issued for residents
Heavy rains caused flooding and mudslides in Los Angeles late Thursday and early Friday, as authorities ordered evacuations.
Heavy rains caused flooding and mudslides in Los Angeles late Thursday and early Friday, as authorities ordered evacuations and warned of potentially dangerous conditions across land burned by last month’s devastating wildfires.
About half a foot of rain has fallen across the area, according to the National Weather Service. Strong winds were also reported, including 80 miles-per-hour gusts in the mountain areas near San Gabriel and San Luis Obispo. Authorities warned about possible downed power lines and damage to trees and roofs.
Residents living near areas burned by the Palisades, Sunset and Hurst blazes were told to leave their homes by early Thursday, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Emergency officials warned residents to stay off the roads. Debris from a mudslide near Malibu swept one motorist’s vehicle off the road and into the ocean Thursday evening, according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Erik Scott.
Flood warnings and watches were canceled as the storm system started tapering off late Thursday, but forecasters warned that flooding and mudslides could continue well after the rain ends. The deluge was fueled by an atmospheric river, a plume of moisture from the Pacific that can contain as much water as flows through the mouth of the Mississippi River. While these systems can be destructive, they can also bring much-needed rain and snow to parched areas.
The storm will likely bring Southern California its heaviest winter rain. With vegetation burned away, the areas around the deadly Eaton and Palisades fires are particularly vulnerable to mudslides. The January blazes killed at least 29 people and destroyed more than 16,000 structures.