A powerful storm sweeping in from the Pacific is bringing destructive rainfall to Southern California, triggering life-threatening floods, mudslides, and debris flows — especially in Los Angeles areas recently affected by wildfires.
Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for “extremely fragile and high-risk homes” in the Palisades, Hearst, and Sunset burn scars, according to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who made the announcement on Friday.
The threat is linked to a prolonged storm system that began Thursday in Northern and Central California. On Saturday, several areas recorded more than a month’s worth of rainfall, with more expected.
Experts say the flood risk increased further when an atmospheric river fed ocean moisture into the storm.
A Level 3 (out of 4) alert for flooding rains remained in effect Saturday for many areas, including Los Angeles. Since morning, up to 1.5 inches of rain has been recorded in Los Angeles, while totals in northeastern Ventura County have exceeded 2 inches.
From Friday morning to Saturday, Los Angeles has already received 2.75 inches of rain — more than the total average for three Novembers combined, all within just 48 hours.
