LOS ANGELES (AP) — An unusually strong storm system called an atmospheric river was dousing Southern California on Saturday, prompting flood warnings in areas of coastal Los Angeles County that recently were ravaged by wildfire. The National Weather Service in Los Angeles and Oxnard reported heavy rainfall Saturday at rates as heavy as an inch (2.5 centimeters) per hour in coastal areas prone to flash flooding. On Friday, more than four inches of rain fell over coastal Santa Barbara County as the storm approached Los Angeles, leading the National Weather Service to urge people to stay indoors amid heavy winds. The long plume of tropical moisture that formed over the Pacific Ocean began drenching the San Francisco Bay Area on Wednesday and unleashed widespread rain over Southern California on Friday and Saturday, with over a foot of snow predicted for parts of the Sierra Nevada. Flood warnings extend from the Ventura County coast through Malibu and into the City of Los Angeles. Due to the potential for debris flows, an Evacuation Warning remains in effect within and around all recent burn scar areas, and select vulnerable properties remain under Evacuation Orders, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass stated in a Saturday-morning social media post on X. Evacuation orders, which are mandatory, were issued for specific high-risk properties in the Palisades and Eaton fire burn areas from Friday evening to Sunday morning. Law enforcement personnel will be selecting properties in these areas to urge people to evacuate.
Southern California Faces Flood Warnings as Strong Storm Unleashes Rain
An unusually powerful atmospheric river storm has hit Southern California, bringing heavy rainfall and prompting evacuation warnings in areas recently affected by wildfires.
A strong atmospheric river storm is currently impacting Southern California, resulting in flood warnings, particularly in coastal areas. The National Weather Service is reporting significant rainfall, with rates reaching one inch per hour, and more than four inches recorded in Santa Barbara County. Evacuation orders have been issued in high-risk areas due to the threat of debris flows from recent burn scars.
