LA fire areas brace for flooding, mudslides ahead of ‘dangerous’ storm

An aerial view shows the devastation left by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades section of Los Angeles, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

LOS ANGELES – A  powerful storm system has moved into Southern California, raising fears of potential debris flows in the areas ravaged by the recent wildfires in Los Angeles.

Light rain fell across most of the Southland Wednesday, but it was only a precursor to what forecasters are calling a potentially dangerous storm expected to arrive by late Thursday, raising fears of flooding, mudslides and debris flows, particularly in the recent burn areas, where evacuations could be ordered.

Los Angeles County and city public works crews have been working for days to prepare for the storm — emptying debris basins, clearing storm drains and distributing sandbags to residents.

In the Eaton Fire burn zone, the county Department of Public Works and the sheriff’s department have also been warning residents living in homes that may be at high risk of damage from mudslides or flooding, and advising them to prepare to evacuate.

Sheriff Robert Luna said formal evacuation warnings will likely be issued sometime Wednesday morning, possibly followed by evacuation orders depending how the storm develops Thursday.

“Please, if evacuation orders are made, … keep your safety in mind,” Luna said. “They help to protect you and your loved ones from potential danger. Storms can bring sudden and severe conditions that make staying back home extremely risky. … Please take necessary steps now to prepare. Pack an emergency kit, secure important documents and ensure that you= have a plan in place for your pets and family members.

“And remember, if you’re ordered to leave, you may be gone for several days. I cannot stand up here and tell you will be gone for 12 hours, 24 hours. We don’t know. It depends on the weather and the post-weather events that will impact your specific neighborhood.”

Luna said deputies have also been canvassing flood-prone areas such as the Los Angeles River to warn homeless people who may be camped there to relocate.

“Unfortunately, we witnessed numerous, numerous instances in the past of swift-water rescues where people were caught in dangerous, fast moving water, and obviously, we want to prevent that,” he said.

A flash flood watch was issued by the National Weather Service for the bulk of Los Angeles County for Thursday morning through Thursday evening, with forecasters saying flooding and debris flows are possible, with the greatest risk in or near the Eaton, Palisades/Franklin and Bridge fire burn scars.

A flood watch will also be in effect from Thursday morning through Thursday night for most of Orange County.

The NWS has described the multi-day storm system as likely to be “the biggest precipitation producer so far this season.”

“The cold front will be capable of producing rainfall rates (that) meet or exceed the thresholds for debris flow in the burn scars … and flood watches have already been posted for those areas,” according to the National Weather Service.

“However, minor flooding of roads is likely just about anywhere.”

Los Angeles County Public Works Director Mark Pestrella said rainfall rates that exceed a half-inch per hour can lead to mud and debris flows, although factors such as topography, the soil system, geology and the status of the flood control system all contribute to the potential for such occurrences.

He insisted, however, that crews have been working around the clock to ensure the county’s 154 debris are clear and have the capacity to capture mud and debris that could descend mountain slopes.

“We are in a state of readiness with those facilities,” Pestrella said. “We have the capacity for the size of storm that we expect to come with this storm.”

He noted that the county has been working with federal agencies to develop a system for containing debris that may start flowing from within the Palisades and Eaton fire burn zones, hoping to contain any such flows on streets in those areas.

“This is unusual,” he said. “We don’t typically want any debris to end up in the streets.”

But he said using a vast system that includes thousands of miles of K- rail and hundreds of thousands of sandbags, crews are hoping to capture debris before it reaches streets, but if it does, the flows will be diverted and contained on streets to prevent it from reaching waterways, which would lead to the ocean in the Palisades area.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Tuesday urged residents to be prepared to evacuate if necessary and to sign up for emergency alerts here.  (With CNS report)