What to Know
- There's chance of rain Wednesday evening and a better possibility after midnight
- The bulk of the rainfall will spread across Northern California over the Thanksgiving holiday
- Residents in SoCal burn areas were warned that they should be prepared to evacuate
A bout of rain will move quickly through Southern California, but it will have the potential to unleash rockslides, mudslides and minor debris flows in areas recently stricken by wildfires.
There's chance of rain Wednesday evening and a better possibility after midnight amid southwest winds of around 15 miles per hour and a 50 percent chance on Thanksgiving morning, followed by a partly cloudy afternoon.
Between seven-tenths of an inch and an inch-and-a-quarter of rain are expected to fall on coastal slopes and in the foothills, which could trigger slides over areas denuded by the Woolsey Fire in L.A. and Ventura counties and the Hill fire in Ventura County. Highway 1 and Santa Monica Mountain canyon roads are particularly vulnerable, they said.
Rain Timing:
- Ventura County:- 8 p.m. to 3 a.m.
- LA County, Orange County, Inland Empire: Wednesday night to Thursday morning, 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Showers moved into Northern California early Wednesday.
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Warning for Residents Near Woolsey Fire
Residents near the Woolsey Fire were warned that mud and debris flows are a very realistic threat that might force evacuations. The Woolsey Fire was 100 percent contained Wednesday evening.
Some fire-damaged areas remain unsafe, the electrical system is "extremely damaged," and road crews are working to clear rocks as emergency personnel prepare for the impending storm, Department of Public Works Director Mark Pestrella told the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
"We're going to have rock fall, we're going to have roads closed," Pestrella said. "The roads will not be safe to travel beginning Wednesday evening."
Pestrella said he expected Pacific Coast Highway would be closed at some point.
Burn area residents concerned about mudflow can pick up empty sandbags at their local fire stations, and can visit the LA County web site for storm season emergency resources, including Los Angeles County's "Homeowners Guide to Flood, Debris and Erosion Control." The sandbags should be used to divert potential flows, not dam them.
