LOS ANGELES — Southern California is currently experiencing a significantly strong storm system known as an atmospheric river, which has led to flood warnings particularly in coastal Los Angeles County areas recently devastated by wildfires.
The National Weather Service reported heavy rainfall on Saturday, with rates of up to an inch (2.5 centimeters) per hour in vulnerable coastal zones facing potential flash flooding.
On Friday alone, over four inches of rain were recorded in coastal Santa Barbara County as the storm approached Los Angeles, prompting authorities to advise residents to remain indoors due to severe winds.
This extensive plume of tropical moisture, originating over the Pacific Ocean, has been unleashing torrential rain across the San Francisco Bay Area since Wednesday and transitioned to Southern California on Friday and Saturday, with forecasts predicting over a foot of snow in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Flood warnings have been extended from Ventura County through Malibu into the heart of Los Angeles.
In a Saturday-morning update via social media, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass emphasized the risks associated with potential debris flows, stating that an Evacuation Warning has been issued for all recent burn scar areas, alongside some properties remaining under mandatory Evacuation Orders.
These mandatory evacuations were implemented for at-risk properties located in the Palisades and Eaton fire burn areas from Friday evening until Sunday morning. Law enforcement teams are actively visiting these locations to advise residents to evacuate.
