Southern California woke up Monday to the kind of weather forecast that makes even seasoned residents nervous. A dangerous storm system is hammering the region with heavy rain, life-threatening flash floods and the potential for up to 8 feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada, forcing officials to issue evacuation warnings for neighborhoods still recovering from recent wildfires.
Los Angeles officials moved quickly to warn residents in burn scar areas, including the Palisades, Sunset and Hurst neighborhoods, about the imminent risk of landslides and debris flows. The evacuation warnings remain in effect until 9 a.m. Tuesday as the storm peaks during Presidents Day, creating a dangerous combination of conditions that meteorologists are calling the most significant weather event of the season.
Multiple threats converge on California
The first of three storms expected to hit the Southland this week is producing the heaviest rainfall totals, with forecasts calling for 1 to 3 inches in coastal and valley areas and 2 to 5 inches in mountain regions by late Monday. The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for a wide swath of Los Angeles County from Monday morning through Monday evening, warning that rock and mudslides are possible near steep terrain.
Mayor Karen Bass urged residents in vulnerable areas to take precautions and be prepared for potential emergency warnings. First responders, public works crews and city personnel are taking action to keep Angelenos safe and will be ready to respond to any potential impacts, she said in a statement late Saturday. The mayor emphasized that this is likely to be another significant rain event and encouraged all residents, especially those in burn scar areas, to follow official guidance and stay informed.
Why this storm is particularly dangerous
The biggest concern isn’t just how much rain falls but how fast it comes down. Meteorologists are expecting rainfall rates of 0.5 to 0.75 inches per hour, with some spots seeing up to 1 inch locally. Anything over 0.30 inches per hour is considered heavy rain, while a rate of 1 inch per hour is intense enough to overwhelm storm drains and fill neighborhood streets faster than they can drain…