Homes lost in the Palisades Fire were hit with rain Wednesday, with more on the way.
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Genaro Molina
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LA Times via Getty Images
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Topline:
The brunt of the storm has passed through Southern California after heavy rain snarled traffic, caused debris flows, and sparked warnings about flooding, thunderstorms, wind and hail.
In recently burned areas: Between Thursday afternoon and early Friday, heavy rain is likely to cause debris flows.
Mountain snow: As much as 2 feet of snow could fall, though snow levels will stay above 6,000 feet making impacts in the Grapevine unlikely.
Get prepared: Sign up for emergency alerts, have your car packed up and be ready to leave if evacuation orders come through.
Read on ... for more detail about the storm forecast.
For the most up-to-date information on evacuation orders for your area you can check:
The brunt of the storm has passed through Southern California after heavy rain snarled traffic, caused debris flows and sparked warnings about flooding, thunderstorms, wind and hail.
But officials warned that people should remain cautious overnight, especially around canyons and steeper terrain.
A possible tornado in Oxnard damaged mobile homes and carports, the National Weather Service said. Cars are also getting stuck in mud, trees are down from 40- to 50-mph wind gusts, and water has piled up on Sunset Boulevard.
A member of the Los Angeles Fire Department was swept off the road and into the ocean along with his vehicle when a large debris flow moved through Big Rock Road in Malibu, according to Erik Scott, LAFD public information officer.
"Fortunately, the member was able to exit his vehicle and reach safety with minor injuries," Scott said on social media. "He was transported to a local hospital as a precaution."
Evacuation orders were expanded for some parts of the L.A. County foothill community Sierra Madre and issued for parts of Orange County as rain intensified Thursday.
Laura Aguilar, deputy city manager in Sierra Madre, told LAist's Morning Edition that around 1,000 residents are affected by the order. She said the order is not a precaution — it means it's time to evacuate — as officials expect debris and mud flows from the Eaton Fire burn areas.
" Those areas that are being evacuated are the ones that are most likely affected by the burn scars that were created by the Eaton fire and lower into the foothills that are expecting mud and debris flow," she said.
In Orange County, a mandatory evacuation order has been issued for areas in Trabuco Canyon, including the RC Airport, fire station, campground/park and school; as well as Bell Canyon, including Starr Ranch; and Hot Springs Canyon, including Lazy-W Ranch, due to possible debris flows from the Airport Fire burn area. Evacuation warnings remain in place for Long Canyon and Modjeska Canyon.
As of Thursday afternoon, forecasters warned that the heavy rain and strong winds were quickly intensifying over L.A. County. On Mulholland Drive, eight inches of mud in the road near the intersection of Outpost Drive made driving impossible in the late afternoon, the L.A. Fire Department said. Fire crews were on the scene, and the road will remain closed throughout the storm. The homes above the debris flow are stable.
Some Sierra Madre roads were also blocked by mud and debris flows, the Sierra Madre Police Department reported Thursday evening.
The National Weather Service announced that a flood advisory was in effect for all of L.A. County until 10 p.m.
Our storm is rapidly intensifying over #LosAngeles County. Flooding and wind risks are increasing. This is a serious situation through this evening. Please obey advice from local officials. Be safe, stay home, and stay off the roads. Tomorrow will be much better. #cawxpic.twitter.com/GwCwJ8X5B3
A flash flood warning was issued for Altadena, the Franklin Fire burn scar, the Palisades Fire burn scar, as well as parts of L.A., Glendale and Santa Clarita until 8 p.m. Thursday.
Highland, Lake Arrowhead and Crestline were under a flash flood warning until 8:45 p.m. Thursday. A flash flood warning was also issued for Pomona, Pasadena, East L.A., San Antonio Heights, Lytle Creek and Mount Baldy until 9 p.m.
A severe thunderstorm warning was in place for parts of Santa Clarita, L.A. and Glendale through 5:30 p.m. Thursday. Pomona, Pasadena, El Monte and parts of L.A. were also under a severe thunderstorm warning until 6:30 p.m. Forecasters warned the storm would bring wind gusts up to 70 mph.
As much as 3 inches of rain could be logged in low-lying areas by the time the storm wraps up Friday, while our mountain areas could see as much as 6 inches. Two feet of snow could fall above 6,000 feet locally, and as much as 5 feet of snow is forecast to fall in the Sierra Nevada.
“We haven’t seen any rain like this since last year," said Kristan Lund, meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
As of around 7 p.m. Thursday, more than 3.1 inches of rain had fallen on the Eaton Dam; Beverly Hills had seen more than 2.7 inches of rain; and more than 2.8 inches had fallen in downtown L.A., according to the National Weather Service.
Consider continuing to hunker down as flooding on roads and freeways are expected to linger, and more heavy rainfall could make it tough for you to see out of your windshield.
The strongest rain is expected to hit between midday Thursday and early Friday.
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National Weather Service
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Prepare for mudslides
The L.A. County Department of Public Works was forecasting that moderate debris flows could impact streets and structures near the following burn areas:
Eaton Fire
Palisades Fire
Franklin Fire
Hughes Fire
Kenneth Fire
Sunset Fire
Lidia Fire
Hurst Fire
Bridge Fire
"We expect an extraordinary amount of debris," said Mark Pestrella, director of Public Works during a press conference early Wednesday. The department has prepositioned concrete barriers, known as K-rails, to try to keep debris in the street and away from homes.
Those who live in and around recently burned areas should be prepared to evacuate.
If you haven't already, you should sign up for emergency alerts (linked below), prepare a go bag, pack up your car and figure out where you'll head if evacuation orders are issued.
"It's possible we get through this rain event without any significant problems, but the potential is there," said Ariel Cohen, meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service in Oxnard during a news conference Tuesday.
"Given the elevated chances for significant debris flows consisting of raging torrents of rock slides and mudslides that can be damaging and even deadly, now is the time to start getting prepared for these potentially dangerous conditions."
The good news — debris basins that are designed to intercept mudflows in burn areas have been cleaned and fortified, according to Los Angeles County Public Works.
Flood watches will be issued for recent burn scars from midday Thursday to early Friday due to a risk of debris flows.
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National Weather Service
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Strong wind gusts could down trees and power lines.
In anticipation of the storm, the L.A. Fire Department deployed resources and the L.A. Department of Water and Power has crews at the ready to respond to power outages.
Although this is the most significant storm to hit this winter, our rainy season has been largely devoid of rain. It pales in comparison with last year's early February storms, which stressed infrastructure and flooded roads. The recently burned areas are the biggest concern.
This storm may be enough to put an end to fire season; however, it's unlikely to alleviate widespread extreme drought conditions that have spread across the region.
Evacuation warnings and orders
L.A. city:Los Angeles Fire Department officials announced Wednesday afternoon that all recent burn scar areas will be under evacuation warnings starting at 7 a.m. Thursday until 2 p.m. They say LAPD officials will also be visiting homes in high-risk areas to issue evacuation orders for specific addresses.
The mandatory evacuation orders included 106 homes in the Palisades Fire burn area, nine in the Sunset Fire area, and four in the Hurst Fire area, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said at a news conference Thursday morning.
L.A. County: Evacuation orders were expanded for Sierra Madre, impacting more than 600 households.
Orange County: Mandatory evacuation order was in effect for areas in Trabuco Canyon, as well as Bell Canyon and Hot Springs Canyon due to possible debris flows from the Airport Fire burn area.
Malibu schools: The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District said Thursday that the closure of Malibu schools will be extended through Friday. Parents should monitor emails from the school district or check with their campus.
Road closures:
Pacific Coast Highway is closed from Chautauqua Boulevard in Los Angeles to Carbon Beach Terrace in Malibu until further notice because of heavy flooding and mudslides.
Malibu Canyon Road was closed from Piuma Road to Adamson Flats.
Topanga Canyon Boulevard (Highway 27) was closed between Coast Highway and Grand View Drive.
Trabuco Canyon Road bridge was closed.
The following roads were closed in Malibu except for resident access:
Piuma Road: Cold Canyon Road to Rambla Pacifico Road
Rambla Pacifico Road: Piuma Road to Las Flores Canyon Road
Saddle Peak Road: Stunt Road to Tuna Canyon Road
Schueren Road: Saddle Peak Road to Piuma Road
Tuna Canyon Road: Saddle Peak Road to Coast Highway
Here’s an excerpt from our guide to understanding flood warnings, if any are issued:
Flood advisories are how the NWS begins to raise the alarm. The goal is to give people enough time to take action.
Flood watches are your indicators to get prepared to move.
Aflood warning is issued when a hazardous weather event is imminent or already happening. When one is issued for your area, you need to get to higher ground immediately.
A flash flood warning is issued when a flash flood is coming or in progress. Flash floods are sudden and violent floods that can start within minutes.
If you're in L.A. County and need sand bags, you can find some at local fire houses.
How we're reporting on this
LAist reporters will provide regular updates on the storm as it moves through. If things get hairy, we'll send reporters into the field to give you real-time updates about conditions on the ground.
This is a developing story. We fact check everything and rely only on information from credible sources (think fire, police, government officials and reporters on the ground). Sometimes, however, we make mistakes or initial reports turn out to be wrong. In all cases, we strive to bring you the most accurate information in real time and will update this story as new information becomes available.
Gab Chabrán
covers what's happening in food and culture for LAist.
Published December 10, 2025 5:14 PM
The Varnish's iconic vintage cash register, a symbol of the speakeasy era that defined downtown L.A.'s cocktail revival.
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Courtesy Eric Alperin
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Topline:
A trio of bartenders who trained at The Varnish — the influential speakeasy once hidden behind Cole's — are reuniting for a one-night, classics-only pop-up at Firstborn in Chinatown. The event offers glimpse into the cocktail style that helped reshape L.A.'s drinking culture.
Why now: This is the first time in years that multiple Varnish alums are reuniting behind one bar, arriving at a moment when interest in L.A.'s cocktail history has resurged. With holiday crowds in full swing, a classics-only menu also offers a grounding, back-to-basics counterpoint to the season's usual excess.
Why it's important: The Varnish was a defining force in L.A.'s modern cocktail revival. The bar, which opened in 2009, brought Sasha Petraske's precise, curated, classic approach to cocktails — a counterpoint to the city's previous culture of showy and sweet drinks — and remains influential long after his passing.
Next Monday December 15, Los Angeles travels back in time. Well, sort of.
The Varnish, the famed speakeasy hidden behind a secret door at the back of Cole’s French Dip, will be reconstituted for one night only as part of a special pop-up at Firstborn in Chinatown.
(Meanwhile, Cole's itself will be open through the holiday season, with its last night of regular service planned for December 31.)
The iconic bar, which shuttered in 2024 after a 15-year run, holds a special place for many Angelenos, who believe it's where L.A.’s modern cocktail revival truly began. The event reunites three bartenders who all came up through The Varnish’s famously exacting school of cocktail-making. Kenzo Han (recently named Esquire’s Bartender of the Year) cut his teeth there before moving into roles that established him as one of L.A.’s most respected classic-cocktail technicians. Wolf Alexander and Miles Caballes emerged from the same pipeline.
One night only
Kenzo Han, bar director at Firstborn and former Varnish bartender, is hosting two fellow Varnish alumni for the Dec. 15 pop-up.
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Ron De Angelis
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Han is now Firstborn’s bar director, where he leads a tight, classics-leaning bar program. The restaurant sits inside Mandarin Plaza, where chef Anthony Wang turns out playful comfort dishes with Chinese and American influences. It’s a lively, unfussy neighborhood hangout just off Broadway, surrounded by neon, noodle shops, and family-style restaurants.
The Varnish connection
All three bartenders trace their lineage back to Sasha Petraske, who, in 2009, co-founded The Varnish with Eric Alperin and Cedd Moses, the owner of Cole’s French Dip.
Petraske traded '90s flash for pre-Prohibition craft: fresh citrus over sour mix, precise technique over bottle tricks, elevating cocktails from party fuel to art form.
Miles Caballes brings his Varnish training back to the bar for one night.
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Courtesy Firstborn
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Wolf Alexander, another Varnish alum, demonstrates the precise technique that defined the speakeasy's approach.
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Courtesy Firstborn
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The Varnish became the city’s clearest expression of Petraske’s cocktail philosophy, where his playbook of precision, restraint, and quiet hospitality took root on the West Coast. (Petraske passed in 2015).
Han, Alexander, and Caballes all trained in that environment, absorbing the Petraske rules of clean builds, tight technique, and no-nonsense cocktails.
What to expect
For one night only, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., the trio will channel that tradition through a Varnish-style menu: curated classics only, no custom builds, with all cocktails priced at $20. Two featured drinks nod directly to the bar's lineage. The Spring Blossom — created at The Varnish — combines mezcal, French aperitifs including Suze and Lillet Blanc, mole bitters and a grapefruit twist. Death & Taxes features scotch, gin, sweet vermouth, Benedictine (a herbal liqueur), Angostura and orange bitters, finished with a lemon twist.
On the food side, chef Anthony Wang is reviving his cult-favorite Blood Orange Chicken Sando ($20), served with radicchio, alongside a limited run of his Shanghainese-style McRib ($24) — a playful, sweet-and-sour riff built around tender ribs and “all the stuff” that made the original such a guilty pleasure.
The blood orange chicken sandwich at Firstborn from Chef Anthony Wang.
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Ron De Angelis
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Expect a casual, walk-in-only atmosphere where guests can grab a seat at the bar and let the cocktail nostalgia wash over them.
Whether you were a Varnish regular or only heard the stories, this pop-up is a rare chance to see that style alive again — familiar faces, bespoke cocktails, and the kind of muscle-memory bartending that defined an era of L.A. drinking culture. For newer drinkers, it’s a glimpse of the cocktail philosophy that shaped the city as we know it.
It’ll likely get busy early, and the food specials may run out fast — but that’s part of the charm. The Varnish’s legacy has always been about small rooms, sharp precision, and moments you catch only if you’re paying attention.
Should LA charge more to opponents of new housing?
David Wagner
covers housing in Southern California, a place where the lack of affordable housing contributes to homelessness.
Published December 10, 2025 4:47 PM
A construction worker walks through the Ruby Street apartments construction site in Castro Valley on Feb. 6, 2024. The construction project is funded by the No Place Like Home bond, which passed in 2018 to create affordable housing for homeless residents experiencing mental health issues.
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Camille Cohen
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CalMatters
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Topline:
In the city of Los Angeles, neighbors or homeowner groups who choose to fight approvals of new housing are required to pay a fee when filing an appeal. Right now, that fee is $178 — about 1% of the amount the city says it costs to process the appeal. But that fee soon will go up.
The details: On Wednesday, the L.A. City Council voted to increase the fee to $229 but rejected a proposal by the city administrative officer that would have raised the cost for appellants to more than $22,800, or 100% of the cost. Some advocates for making housing easier to build argued the city should have adopted the higher fee.
Read on … to learn what developers will have to pay if they want to fight a project denial.
In the city of Los Angeles, neighbors or homeowner groups who choose to fight approvals of new housing are required to pay a fee when filing an appeal.
Right now, that fee is $178 — about 1% of the amount the city says it costs to process the appeal. But that fee soon will go up.
On Wednesday, the L.A. City Council voted to increase the fee to $229 but rejected a proposal by the city administrative officer that would have raised the cost for appellants to more than $22,800, or 100% of the cost.
Some advocates for making housing easier to build argued the city should have adopted the higher fee.
“Appeals of approved projects create delays that make it harder to build housing and disincentivize future housing from being proposed,” said Jacob Pierce, a policy associate with the group Abundant Housing L.A.
At a time when L.A.’s budget is strained, Pierce said, if someone thinks a project was wrongly approved, “They should put their money where their mouth is and pay the full fee."
The City Council unanimously approved another new fee structure put forward by the city’s Planning Department.
While fees will remain relatively low for housing project opponents, developers will have to pay $22,453 to appeal projects that previously had been denied.
A November report from the city administrative officer said setting fees higher to recover the full cost of processing would have aligned with the city’s financial policies. Generally, fees are set higher when applicants are asking for a service that benefits them alone.
“When a service or activity benefits the public at large, there is generally little to no recommended fee amount,” the report said.
Pierce said he hoped a City Council committee would reconsider the higher fee proposal next year. With the city falling far short of its goal to create nearly a half-million new homes by 2029, he said the city needs to discourage obstruction of new housing.
“Slowing down the construction of housing is expensive for all of us,” Pierce said.
Cato Hernández
covers important issues that affect the everyday lives of Southern Californians.
Published December 10, 2025 4:16 PM
A file photo of an ink-based printer.
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Neilson Barnard
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Getty Images
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Topline:
The L.A. City Council has voted to create a new ordinance that bans the sale of certain single-use ink cartridges from online and local retailers.
Why now? L.A. is recommending that a ban target single-use cartridges that don’t have a take-back program or can’t be refilled. That's because they’re winding up in the landfill, where, L.A. Sanitation says, they can leach harmful substances into the ground.
What’s next? The City Attorney’s Office is drafting the ordinance. It will go before the council’s energy and environment committee before reaching a full vote.
Read on ... to see how the ban could work.
Los Angeles could become the first city in the U.S. to ban ink cartridges that can be used only once.
The L.A. City Council unanimously voted Wednesday to approve the creation of an ordinance that prohibits their sale. The move comes after more than a year of debate over the terms.
Why the potential ban
This builds upon the city’s effort to reach zero waste, including phasing out single-use plastics. You’re likely familiar with some of those efforts — such as only getting plastic foodware by request and banning single-use carryout bags at stores. Multiple plastic bans have been suggested, like for single-use vapes and bag clips, but now it’s ink’s turn.
The cartridges are tough to dispose of because of the plastic, metal and chemicals inside, according to the city. They’re also classified as regulated waste in the state because they can leach toxic substances into the environment, such as volatile organic compounds and heavy metals.
That poses a problem. L.A.’s curbside recycling program can’t recycle the cartridges, and while its hazardous waste program can take them, a significant portion end up in landfills.
Major printer manufacturers and some ink retailers have take-back programs for used cartridges so they can get refilled. However, L.A. Sanitation says there are certain single-use cartridges that don’t have recovery programs. These are usually cartridges that work with a printer but aren’t name brand.
How outlawing them could work
LASAN has spent months figuring out what a ban would cover — and it hasn’t been without pushback. The city’s energy and environment committee pressed the department back in September on how effective a ban would be.
Ultimately, the committee moved it forward with a promise that LASAN would come back with more details, including environmental groups’ stance, concrete data to back up the need and a public education plan.
The department’s current recommendation is that the ordinance should prohibit retail and online establishments from selling any single-use ink cartridge, whether sold separately or with a printer, to people in the city. Retailers that don’t follow the rules would get fined.
So what does single-use mean here? The ban would affect a printer cartridge that:
is not collected or recovered through a take-back program
cannot be remanufactured, refilled or reused
infringes upon intellectual property rights or violates any applicable local, state or federal law
Any cartridges that meet one of these points would fall under the ban, though you still could get them outside L.A.
The proposed ordinance will go to the committee first while LASAN works on a public education plan.
If it ends up getting approved by the full council, the ban likely would go into full effect 12 months later.
Julia Barajas
explores how college students achieve their goals, whether they’re fresh out of high school, pursuing graduate work or looking to join the labor force through alternative pathways.
Published December 10, 2025 3:36 PM
Cal State Dominguez Hills faces significant budget pressure.
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Julie Leopo
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LAist
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Topline:
Faculty, students, alumni and community partners are demanding the California State University, Dominguez Hills, administration withdraw a proposal to eliminate six academic programs.
Why it matters: In addition to fewer academic options, according to the California Faculty Association — the union that represents CSU professors, lecturers, librarians, counselors and coaches — an estimated 40 jobs will be eliminated at Cal State Dominguez Hills if this plan is approved.
What the university says: "The university’s current financial constraints limit our ability to invest in new or expanded programs that could meet those needs," university spokesperson Lilly McKibbin said via email.
She added that no final decisions have been made and that the process to end a program would give faculty a chance to "review data and hear from the campus community."
What educators say: “These programs are not expendable — they are essential,” said Stephen McFarland, a labor studies professor at the campus and a CFA executive board member. “Eliminating them would narrow students’ opportunities at a moment when they need more pathways, not fewer.”
The backstory: The CSU system is facing a $2.3 billion budget gap, despite tuition increases. The gap is rooted in cuts to state funding and increased labor costs. The university did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
