Flood concerns escalate as record-setting storm soaks Los Angeles

A relentless atmospheric river continues to drench Southern California as flooding concerns escalate for some residents.

Los Angeles and Orange Counties are expected to get around 2 more inches of rain with a slight risk of thunderstorms.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass held another news conference to update residents on the city's storm response Tuesday morning.

She thanked first responders and city workers who have been working around the clock to help residents impacted by the historic rain storm. 

"We saw backyards destroyed and cars swept down driveways," said Bass as she explained what she saw when she toured storm damages in the valley on Monday.

As of Tuesday morning, there have been no fatalities from the storm in Los Angeles.

Bass also thanked President Biden, who called on Monday offering federal help to Los Angeles and the state of California as they deal with storms that began on Sunday.

In response to the storm, the Los Angeles Fire Department added more helicopter pilots, swift-water rescue, community emergency response and urban search and rescue teams, as well as command and dispatch staff to assist more than 1,000 firefighters already on duty. Crowley said the department will maintain an augmented resource deployment.

"This rain will continue to cause hazardous road conditions, and increase the chance of mudslides and flooding throughout the city," said Fire Chief Kristin Crowley.

The LAFD responded to 307 mudslides and 35 incidents of buildings requiring inspection due to mudslides and slope failures. Five buildings have been red tagged and seven buildings have been yellow tagged, Crowley added. 

The record-setting rain totals have reach double-digits in some areas and has caused mud and debris flows that forced evacuations and left some homes heavily damaged.

RELATED: Mudflows damage multiple homes throughout LA County

By Tuesday morning, the storm has dropped 12 inches in Bel Air, and more than 11 inches in Woodland Hills, according to the National Weather Service. Beverly Hills received 8 inches, while downtown Los Angeles received over 8 inches and more than 4 inches fell at Los Angeles International Airport.

The two-day rain total for downtown Los Angeles for Sunday and Monday was 7.03 inches, the third highest rain total for two consecutive days in downtown LA since 1877, when rain totals started being recorded. The highest two-day total is 7.98 inches set on Dec. 31, 1933 and Jan. 1, 1934. The second highest two-day total is 7.44 inches set on Jan. 25 and 26, 1956.

RELATED: How much rain has fallen on Southern California so far?

With rain expected to continue falling, all Malibu schools will be closed again on Tuesday, Feb. 6, while Santa Monica schools will remain open and in session, according to officials.

A winter storm watch will be in effect in the eastern San Gabriel Mountains through 10 p.m. Tuesday, with forecasters predicting as much as 2 to 3 feet of snow above 7,000 feet, as much as 20 inches as low as 6,000 feet, and 8 inches at 5,000 feet.

A less severe winter storm advisory will be in place until 10 p.m. Tuesday in the western San Gabriel Mountains and the Antelope Valley Freeway corridor.

Once the main storm system passes by later Tuesday night, there will be a roughly 20% to 40% chance of rain will linger through Friday, although most of that precipitation is expected to be light.