Southern California Burn Areas Brace for Rain This Week

A storm system is expected to bring widespread rain and gusty winds to Southern California beginning Tuesday, raising fears of possible debris flows in recent burn areas.

The National Weather Service expressed “high confidence in widespread periods of rain in the Tuesday through Friday” period. Early estimates suggest most areas will see moderate rainfall, with about an inch in coastal and valley regions and two to three inches in the foothills and mountains.

Forecasters said the rainfall poses minimal threat of triggering destructive mudslides or debris flows in Southern California’s recent burn areas. However, some risk remains, and officials were taking pains to provide every precaution possible.

“The peak of the event will be from Tuesday evening through Wednesday morning,” the NWS said, adding that the chance of rain and the rainfall intensity will decrease Wednesday afternoon and evening. Another bout of rain is expected either Thursday or Friday, with dry skies returning by Saturday.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works is cleaning drainage facilities and debris basins, installing additional k-rails near homes and providing sandbags at vulnerable sites.

County officials updated the public on the preparedness efforts at a Sunday morning news conference in Malibu.

“Los Angeles County has been working around the clock to prepare for this storm, clearing debris basins, reinforcing infrastructure, and making sure our residents have the resources they need to stay safe,” said Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, whose Third District includes the Palisades Fire area. “I want to thank all of our emergency response teams for their tireless work to protect our communities. I urge all residents to take this time to prepare — secure your property, use sandbags where needed, and stay informed as the storm approaches.”

County storm preparedness actions include:

• Debris Basin and Flood Control Maintenance. Public Works crews have been clearing storm drains, catch basins, and debris basins in vulnerable burn areas, removing over 400 cubic yards of mud and debris in Sunset Mesa alone.
• Infrastructure Reinforcements. With support from the California Office of Emergency Services, the county has deployed 679 feet of k-rail and over 1,500 sandbags in key locations within the Eaton and Palisades burn areas to slow runoff and prevent dangerous debris flows.

Residents were urged to clear drainage paths around their properties, install sandbags to direct runoff away from homes, avoid travel in burn areas and mountain roads during heavy rainfall and sign up for emergency alerts at ready.lacounty.gov.

Los Angeles County experienced its first significant winter storm in late January. The L.A. Basin saw accumulations ranging from half an inch to 1.5 inches, while downtown Los Angeles recorded a total of 0.54 inches of rain.

Although the storm spared recent burn areas in Pacific Palisades and Altadena from the heaviest rainfall, it still caused issues. There were reports last Monday of minor mud flows brought on by the rain, including a slide that closed Topanga Canyon Boulevard at Pacific Coast Highway. Lingering snowfall also forced a roughly 11-hour closure Monday of the Grapevine stretch of the Golden State (5) Freeway in northern Los Angeles and southern Kern counties.

The NWS said the upcoming storm will see snow levels at or above 8,000 feet.

Daytime temperatures are expected to cool significantly, with highs dropping to the lower to mid-60s on Tuesday and near 60 by Wednesday.