Residents in pockets across Southern California are preparing for rainstorms expected to slam the region over the next few days — and bring the potential for mudslides and debris flow in areas recently ravaged by wildfires.
Flood watches, when flooding conditions are considered ripe, are in place for stretches including the burn scars surrounding the Eaton, Palisades, Franklin and Bridge fires, from 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13, to 4 a.m. Friday, Feb. 14.
Flames burned through brush and vegetation, reducing the soil’s ability to absorb water — allowing water to possibly flow quickly, picking up debris and creating dangerous mudslides, debris flows and flash flooding.
Rain is expected to begin across the region Wednesday night into Thursday with light showers, with the heaviest rainfall coming down Thursday night into Friday.
Los Angeles County
Rain totals are expected to reach between one and a half to three inches, according to the National Weather Service, with mountain areas seeing more — three to six inches.
At it’s peak, rain is forecast to fall half an inch to an inch an hour in some places. While flood watches are in place for burn scar areas, officials anticipate road issues and flood advisories across the county and caution drivers to avoid roads during the storm’s peak, said Ryan Kittell, a National Weather Service meteorologist.
“Stay home, shelter in place,” Kittell said, “and heed any evacuation warnings if they’re issued.”
Crews with the Los Angeles City Fire Department and Los Angeles County Fire Department are putting up K-rail barriers and sandbags in dangerous areas to prevent mudslides and debris flows.
L.A. County Fire officials have cleaned around 500 debris catch-basins surrounding the Eaton and Palisades fires and laid three miles of channel drains, said Engineer Jonathan Torres, a spokesman for the Fire Department.
Residents can pick up free sandbags from any L.A. city and L.A. county fire department station. Sand is also available at some locations.
Gov. Gavin Newsom visited the Eaton fire burn scar in Altadena on Tuesday to monitor the steps officials are taking to prepare the area for the upcoming rain.
“California has been in a constant state of readiness preparing for extreme winter weather,” Newsom said in a news release. “Crews have been on the ground for weeks working to secure areas against possible mudslides and debris flows.”
State officials gathered locally requested materials, including concrete barriers that stop or divert debris flow and worked to contain fire debris from the Eaton and Palisades fire to keep it from going into creeks, rivers and other bodies of water. In the last month, they’ve also finished debris basin clean-up activities.
The state has provided 319,000 sandbags and 5,600 super sacks to Southern California, and Cal Fire and the California Office of Emergency Services provided hundreds of additional engines. California OES will also provide 400 additional personnel for flood fighting efforts across Colusa, Fresno, Los Angeles, Orange, Glenn, Tulare, Ventura and Santa Barbara.
The California Department of Social Services is working to create warming centers and shelters to serve impacted areas, and nearly 120 miles of emergency protection materials were installed to contain burn scar debris across the state.
Orange County and the Inland Empire
Lower elevations are expected to see an inch to an inch and a half of rain while residents around the Santa Ana Mountains might see three to four inches through Friday, said Kyle Wheeler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
In Highland and Yucaipa, downslope from the burn scar of the Line fire, which devastated parts of the San Bernardino National Forest and Highland, rainfall could be as high as half an inch or more each hour along the foot of the San Bernardino Mountains.
For Orange County, officials’ largest concern is the burn scar surrounding the Airport fire, which broke out in Trabuco Canyon and spread east into Riverside County.
In both burn scars, there’s a potential for mudslides and debris flow, but Wheeler said it seems unlikely for now.
Crews with the San Bernardino County Fire Department started preparing for mudslides and debris flows while the Bridge and Line fires were still burning by clearing debris and ensuring storm systems stayed intact, said Eric Sherwin, a spokesperson for the agency. The. Bridge fire roared in the Angeles National Forest in L.A. and San Bernardino counties.
Search and rescue teams are fully staffed, and the Fire Department has applied for funding from state agencies for additional staffing, Sherwin said.
As the storm progresses, Sherwin said residents should monitor forecasts and local alerts. Residents need to be prepared to quicky leave and respect evacuation warnings and orders because, once mudslides or debris flows intensify, it could be too late for residents to get out, he said.
“Your ability to get out might be nonexistent,” Sherwin said, “and our ability to get to you is equally as difficult.”
The Orange County Fire Authority is working with the county’s public works officials and the Sheriff’s Department to manage a unified command in case of mudflows, Capt. Greg Barta said. The department has also increased staffing ahead of the storm.
Orange County residents, especially those living around the Airport fire burn scar, should clear their gutters, remove debris from drains on their property and place sandbags around their home before the rain starts, Barta said.
“We don’t want their lives to be in jeopardy or impacted by potential mud or debris flows,” Barta said.
Recent wildfires across the region include:
- Hughes fire, started on Jan. 22 near Castaic Lake and scorched 10,425 acres
- Palisades fire, Jan. 7, Pacific Palisades, 23,707 acres
- Eaton fire, Jan. 7, Altadena and Pasadena, 14,021 acres
- Franklin fire, Dec. 9, Malibu, 4,037 acres
- Airport fire, Sept. 9, Santa Ana Mountains, 23,526 acres
- Bridge fire, Sept. 8, Angeles National Forest, 56,030 acres
- Line fire, Sept. 5, near Highland, 43,978 acres