What to Know
- Rain is in the forecast through mid-week in Southern California.
- Several inches of rain are possible, adding to record-setting rainfall from earlier this month that left hillsides saturated and prone to landslides.
- Flash flood warnings and watches were in effect to start the week.
Steady rain continues to fall across much of Los Angeles County Tuesday as a three-day storm arrived, accompanied by numerous flash flood advisories and at least one evacuation warning as authorities urged caution on area roads.
“It’s going to be another soggy day today and the focus of the atmospheric river shifts east to the Inland Empire and Orange County,” said NBC4 meteorologist Belen de Leon.
De Leon said the steady rain is expected over the area until the early afternoon, then scattered activity through this evening. Most of the rain Tuesday will move into Riverside and San Bernardino counties, where flash flood watches and advisories are in effect.
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Flash flood watches and advisories also are in effect for Orange County. In Los Angeles County, a flood watch is in effect.
An evacuation warning, urging residents to be prepared to evacuate, was issued for the area along Santa Maria Road north of Topanga Canyon Boulevard through Wednesday morning. The area in the Santa Monica Mountains is under threat of slides due to heavily saturated hillsides.
Evacuation warnings could be elevated to orders if conditions get worse.
On Tuesday morning, the City of Huntington Beach tweeted the closure of PCH in both directions between Warner and Seapoint due to flooding.
Los Angeles County Public Works officials issued a “phase 2 debris flow forecast'' for the Land Fire burn area east of Sun Valley. The alert will be in effect until 9 a.m. Wednesday, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department, which said moderate flooding and mudflow/sediment deposition should be anticipated in the area of McDonald Creek, Del Arroyo Drive and La Tuna Canyon Road.
“If conditions worsen, evacuation orders may be issued and evacuation sites will be identified,'' the LAFD said. “Take action now to be ready to quickly evacuate if you live on the streets along La Tuna Canyon Road with the borders of Horse Haven Street to the north, Martindale Avenue to the east, Penrose Street to the south, and Ledge Avenue to the west.''
A portion of Benedict Canyon Road was restricted to local access only due to a collapsing roadway. The "soft closure'" was in effect from Mulholland Drive to Hutton Drive, with Deep Canyon Drive suggested as an alternate route.
Mulholland Drive remained closed between Skyline Drive and Bowmont Drive due to severe road damage at four locations. That closure was expected to last weeks, officials said.
Rain is in the forecast through Wednesday, adding to the record-setting rainfall from an early February storm that left hillsides saturated and prone to landslides. The days-long early February storm triggered lands slides above and below Mulholland Drive and in Studio City, Beverly Crest and other hillside communities.
Watches and advisories are in effect for most of Southern California through Wednesday morning. A flood watch indicates excessive runoff from heavy rain, a possibility of mudslides and flooding in low-lying areas or neighborhoods near streams and creeks.
Southern California's February storms in photos
“When we get to Tuesday, the rain doesn’t stop. We’re going to add to the [rain] totals that have already fallen to the ground,” NBCLA forecaster Shanna Mendiola explained. “Even though it’s not going to be as much as last time, any little rain is going to cause some issues.”
As the LA County area expects 2 to 5 inches or rain and up to 6 inches of rain in the foothills, officials urged people to prepare for further damage from the rain.
“Due to the significant storm earlier this month, areas that were previously damaged may be more vulnerable to the impact of heavy rain, including mudslide areas,” according to a statement from the LA Emergency Management Department.
Authorities also warned people to avoid being in the ocean water by issuing a high surf advisory through Tuesday morning, adding dangerous rip currents would increase the risk of drowning especially at southwest and west-facing beaches.
A coastal flood advisory was also in effect until Tuesday morning in Ventura County beaches.
