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Record rainfall drenches Southern California; flood warnings persist
Environment Feb 05, 2024
Firefighters work to rescue two people and a dog Feb. 5 from the Santa Ana River bottom. | Photo courtesy of the Riverside County Fire Department/X
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Southern California faced an ongoing battle with the elements Monday as heavy rainfall broke records and posed significant threats of flooding, mudslides and road closures across the region.
The storm, which unleashed its fury over the weekend, was far from over Monday morning, with meteorologist Ryan Kittell of the National Weather Service in Oxnard projecting continued precipitation through Tuesday and sporadic showers possibly reaching Wednesday.
Los Angeles County has born the brunt of the storm so far, with areas such as Laurel Canyon, Studio City and Tarzana reporting substantial mud flows.
“There’s still a lot of rain to come,” said Kittell, highlighting the critical state of areas under the storm’s relentless path.
Los Angeles, after a record-breaking Sunday with 4.1 inches of rainfall, now braces for more. Kittell emphasized the scope of the storm as its main body stalls over LA and nearby counties, promising little respite until Tuesday morning. The NWS issued a wide-ranging flood watch until 4 p.m. Tuesday, including unprecedented peak rainfall rates threatening localized flooding.
The storm’s impact extended well beyond Los Angeles, with Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties also grappling with rain. As the system expanded, authorities tackled traffic collisions and water rescues.
Local areas oscillated between preparation and response as the Weather Prediction Center conveyed a grave warning: over 14 million Southern Californians faced a high risk of perilous landslides and excessive rainfall.
While Los Angeles residents experienced the aftermath of Sunday’s historic deluge, the city’s wettest day in nearly two decades, areas such as Bel-Air and Topanga saw rainfall totals exceeding 10 inches. The WPC escalated its alerts to the highest degree, issuing a level 4 warning for the LA and surrounding cities, including Anaheim and Long Beach, where the rainfall rate per hour could result in totals dangerous for both coastal and mountain terrains.
The Santa Barbara Airport succumbing to significant flooding, prompting a halt to all flights and related operations. The heart of the storm, however, remained affixed over Los Angeles, promising an extension of adverse conditions well into San Diego County. Local schools, such as those in the Bear Valley Unified School District in San Bernardino County, were forced to close as measures of caution.
Despite the urgency, authorities stress preparedness and safety, urging the community to heed evacuation orders and stay informed via LA’s Emergency Alert System.
As reported by the Los Angeles Times, Riverside Press-Enterprise and KNX News
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