Southern California is heading into the New Year with another round of rain, renewed flood risks and what forecasters say is a near-guarantee of a wet Rose Parade.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday that the state had again pre-positioned fire, rescue and emergency crews in areas most at risk for flooding, mud and debris flows, with special attention to recent burn scar areas.
“California is once again bracing for intense winter weather, and we’re taking every precaution to keep people safe,” Newsom said in a statement.
The storm system comes on the heels of a Christmas holiday deluge that caused fatalities, spurred swift-water rescues and toppled trees. Some Southern California mountain communities were buried in mud. The incoming system will not be as intense, but drenched soil is more vulnerable to rock- and mudslides.
The storm system was approaching from the south as strong Santa Ana winds began to ease Tuesday. Rain will pick up Wednesday morning, with the heaviest downpours forecast from Wednesday night into Thursday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. Showers could linger through Friday.
Rainfall totals are expected to range from about three-quarters of an inch to 2.5 inches in coastal and valley areas, with 2 to 5.5 inches possible in foothill and mountain communities. An additional half an inch of rain could fall Friday.
Wind gusts could top 30 to 50 mph, forecasters said.
Flood watches have been issued for much of Los Angeles County and Orange County coastal and inland areas from Wednesday evening through Thursday evening.
The areas of highest concern stretch along coastal and foothill regions from Santa Barbara through Los Angeles counties, as well as parts of the Sacramento Valley and Sierra Nevada foothills, where soils remain saturated from earlier storms.
Evacuation warnings will take effect at 11 a.m. Wednesday in areas affected by the Franklin and Palisades fires around Pacific Palisades, the Eaton fire in Altadena, the Canyon fire near Castaic, the Agua and Lidia fires near the Magic Mountain Wilderness Area, the Bridge fire near Wrightwood, the Sunset fire near West Hollywood and the Kenneth fire near Calabasas.
Road closures are planned on Topanga Canyon Boulevard between Pacific Coast Highway and Grand View Drive at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
Along with pre-positioning efforts led by California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, crews from Cal Fire, the California Highway Patrol and Caltrans are staged across the state, ready to respond to flooding, rockslides, fallen trees and power outages.
Resources already deployed to Los Angeles and Ventura counties include seven swift-water rescue teams, three bulldozers, four hand crews, seven fire engines, two helicopters, one urban search-and-rescue company and more than 20 support personnel.
“By pre-positioning emergency crews and activating resources in advance, we can respond faster and more effectively if conditions deteriorate,” Newsom said.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will meet Wednesday morning to ratify a local emergency proclamation, allowing the county to seek reimbursement for storm damage and speed up recovery efforts.
