Heavy rain fell across a large swath of Southern California on Thursday, flooding some roadways but largely sparing the region from the severe damage that officials had warned was possible in areas recently burned by wildfires
The Southern California areas scorched by flames last month had been of particular concern because the soil in those areas can repel water and allow sheets of mud to race downhill and collect debris along the way.
As the brunt of the storms arrived on Thursday afternoon, the National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings in Malibu and Pacific Palisades, two communities that suffered heavy damage during the Palisades fire last month. Shortly thereafter, the Weather Service issued the same warning in the Altadena area, where thousands of structures were destroyed by the Eaton fire, and across much of Los Angeles County, affecting about seven million people.
But by early evening, the brunt of the rain had passed through the Los Angeles area without causing widespread damage.
“It’s moving out,” said Carol Smith, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
The biggest concern was that a torrent of rain within a short period could have caused landslides in the wildfire areas. At one point on Thursday, muddy water cascaded across parts of the Pacific Coast Highway, prompting officials to close the roadway.
The Weather Service received several reports of strong winds across Southern California, with gusts of more than 77 miles per hour in some areas. In Ventura County, northwest of Los Angeles, awnings and carports suffered wind damage.
More than 100 homes were under mandatory evacuation orders in the city of Los Angeles, Jim McDonnell, the Los Angeles police chief, said Thursday morning. The Palisades fire destroyed thousands of homes in the city’s Pacific Palisades neighborhood last month, and hillsides remain vulnerable in the area.
Elsewhere in Los Angeles County, evacuation warnings and orders had been issued for areas recently affected by the Eaton fire, which burned more than 14,000 acres and destroyed more than 9,400 structures. On Thursday morning, some residents in Sierra Madre, Calif., were told to evacuate before the worst of the storm.
Concerns this week had extended beyond areas affected by the Palisades and Eaton fires. Mark Pestrella, the director of the Los Angeles County Public Works Department, said on Wednesday that any burn scar area from a fire within the past year was at risk.
In Orange County, the Sheriff’s Department issued an evacuation warning for the area near the site of the Airport fire, which burned more than 20,000 acres in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains. In San Bernardino County, the sheriff’s office also issued an evacuation order in some mountainous areas, citing the potential for mud and debris flow.
In Altadena, Makis Dasigenis, 69, said on Thursday afternoon that exhaustion from the firestorm and, now, the pounding rain was setting in among residents. Mr. Dasigenis, a retired banker, described how he fought to save his home during the Eaton fire using a water pump.
“All of us are dealing with insurance companies and trying to arrange for cleanup and this and that,” he said. “It’s been exhausting, and it will take months before it’s over.”
As stronger rain began to hit the neighborhood, Mr. Dasigenis said he wasn’t too worried about a mudslide or debris from the storm, which he felt would be more of a concern farther north from his home toward the San Gabriel Mountains.
The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services said that, to prepare for the heavy rain, it had positioned resources across 14 counties, from Sonoma County in Northern California to San Diego County at the southern border.
Intense storms had also hit the Bay Area and other parts of Northern California. On Thursday morning, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office issued an evacuation order for parts of the county because of rising creek levels; evacuation orders were lifted by the early afternoon.
In the Sierra Nevada, snow was heavy enough to force the closure of Interstate 80 because of low visibility and vehicles spinning out on icy road surfaces, according to Caltrans.
Officials in Santa Barbara County, which experienced a deadly mudslide in 2018 along with flooding in recent years, had been preparing for the storm since late last week, said Jackie Ruiz, a spokeswoman for the county’s emergency management office.
“We had back-to-back years of pretty intense rain here,” Ms. Ruiz said, “so it’s something that we’re very familiar with in the community.”
On Wednesday, sheriff’s deputies knocked on the doors of about 50 properties within the burn scar area of the Lake fire, which burned more than 38,000 acres last year, Ms. Ruiz said. Officials were also trying to reach people who live in encampments in creek beds, underpasses and other places that are prone to flooding, she said.
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