The National Weather Service (NWS) is urging Southern California residents to stay off roads and prepare for flooding as an “unusually strong storm system” moves in, bringing heavy rain that could cause faster flooding in areas scarred by wildfires.
The County of Los Angeles has issued several evacuation warnings for areas near recent wildfire scars.
Why It Matters
Flooding is the second deadliest weather hazard nationwide, with many fatalities occurring when vehicles are swept away by rising waters.
The NWS warns that burn scars, charred areas where vegetation has been destroyed, combined with heavy rain can “quickly worsen flash flooding.” The weather agency warns that after a wildfire, “rainfall that would normally be absorbed will run off extremely quickly after a wildfire, as burned soil can be as water-repellant as pavement. As a result, much less rainfall is required to produce a flash flood.”…