Flood watch issued as Southern California braces for heavy rain, potential debris flows
A flood watch will go into effect Wednesday afternoon across much of Los Angeles and Ventura counties as weather officials warn about heavy rainfall and debris flows.
The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch from Wednesday evening until Thursday afternoon. Forecasters said during the peak of the storm, rainfall rates could be between .50 to .75 inches of rain per hour.
Several areas in Southern California could have scattered showers throughout the day, but the potential for "damaging flooding" will not increase until the evening to overnight hours.
"The good news is that the front is moving quite fast, so the duration of the steady heavy rain is only expected to be around 6 hours," the NWS said.
At a news conference Wednesday morning, LA County Department of Public Works Director Mark Pestrella said the peak of the storm should take place between 2 and 5 a.m. Thursday.
The NWS also warns about southeasterly winds with gusts between 15 to 30 mph. Winds could cause trees to fall or downed powerlines. Weather officials urge people to use caution with power lines especially in the rain.
The mountain areas will also be experiencing heavy snowfall and reduced visibility. The icy conditions could create dangerous road conditions and drivers are urged to limit travel.
Areas above 6,500 feet could receive 1 to 2 feet of snow, areas above 5,500 feet could receive 12 inches and areas around 3,000 feet could receive close to an inch.
Potential weather impacts:
- Dangerous mountain travel with blowing snow
- Heavy rain with at least minor roadway and urban flooding likely
- Chance of thunderstorms
- Isolated downed trees and power outages possible
Local officials near recent burn scar areas have issued evacuation warnings and closed roads that could experience flooding.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday that he was pre-deploying more than 400 emergency personnel to Southern California to assist with the region's preparation to handle the storm.
