A flood advisory remained in effect across the Los Angeles region as “intense bursts” of rain were expected to continue through Sunday morning, extending the area’s weekend soaking from a large atmospheric river storm, according to the National Weather Service.
Evacuation orders that had been in place for parts of the region, however, were lifted by Los Angeles County.
The rain — heavy and steady for days — was needed but deadly, providing relief from dry conditions but causing danger from mudslides, dicey roads and falling trees.
The flood advisory will be in effect until 2:45 p.m. Sunday, with the National Weather Service predicting excessive rain to cause urban and other small streams to flood, and water to pool in low-lying and poor drainage areas across L.A. County.
“Ponding of water in urban or other areas is occurring or is imminent,” the weather service said shortly before 9 a.m. Sunday.
Rose Schoenfeld, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said the weather system was showing a “certain amount of rotation” over the L.A. area, increasing the chances of “thunder, heavy downpour, local lightning” and gusty winds.
Given how saturated soils already are, that also means “increased falling trees,” she said.
Schoenfeld said a different storm system that was off the coast Sunday morning is likely to begin moving into the region and is expected to hit metro L.A. mid-morning on Monday — which “will keep things pretty rainy.”
At 8:38 a.m., both radar and automated rain gauges in the region “indicated heavy rain moving into southern and central Los Angeles County,” the weather service said. “Short-duration intense bursts of rainfall will occur over the next several hours.”
The weather service also said debris flows were likely in recent burn areas, including in the Eaton, Bridge, Franklin, Hughes and Lidia burn scars. It predicted flooding across the region, from Long Beach to Pasadena, from downtown through Hollywood and into the San Fernando Valley, and in coastal areas such as Santa Monica.
The storm system had already drenched the region prior to Sunday’s rainfall. By Saturday afternoon it had dumped 2 to 3 inches of rain across the greater Los Angeles area, with as much as 8 inches of rain falling in some areas, meteorologists said.
The rains have helped dampen fire danger and replenish water supplies for Southern California. But they also caused their own emergency conditions, including flash flooding. Evacuation orders had been in place in various parts of the county, but were lifted Saturday evening.
County officials advised residents to “remain alert” for hazards.
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