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Get Ready For A Night Of Heavy Rain And Possible Flooding
A Lifeguard observes a boat that was sent into the rocks on Deer Creek beach after heavy winds during a storm on December 21, 2023 in Oxnard, California.
(
Apu Gomes
/
Getty Images North America
)
The worst of the storm isn't over yet, as the odds of thunderstorms and heavy rainfall continue to increase late Thursday into early Friday.
Santa Barbara, Ventura and western Los Angeles counties are going to be under the gun. The low pressure system is moving slowly over the area and could dump as much as 1 to 2 inches of rain per hour, raising the risk of flooding. A total of five additional inches could fall on our foothill and mountain areas. Short lived tornadoes are still possible.
Things should start to dry up on Saturday.
Things should start to dry out by Saturday.
(
National Weather Service in Oxnard
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
)
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Precipitation totals
As of Thursday afternoon:
- Old Man Mountain (Ventura): 12.83 inches
- Downtown L.A.: .99 inches
- Culver City: 2.61 inches
- Porter Ranch: 4.11 inches
- Mt. Baldy: 1.38 inches
Flooding has occurred
Ventura, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles counties have all seen flooding, with evacuations ordered in Point Hueneme, when more than three inches of rain fell in one hour. That's greater than the total amount of rain that normally falls on the area throughout all of December.
A hillside has collapsed onto the patio of a home in the Hollywood Hills.
A street flooded after a heavy rain on December 21, 2023 in Oxnard, California.
(
Apu Gomes
/
Getty Images North America
)
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Hazards to watch out for
A flash flood warning (flooding is imminent) is in place for the Santa Barbara area until 1 A.M., with the southern and central parts of the county particularly vulnerable.
A man tries to push a vehicle out of a flooded street as rain comes down on Dec. 21, 2023, in Santa Barbara.
(
Eugene Garcia/AP
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AP
)
A flood watch (flooding may occur) is in effect throughout Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties into Friday. Isolated pockets of intense rain will bring the greatest risk over the next 24 hours.
As is customary, please avoid the beach for at least 72 hours following heavy rains. An L.A. County beach advisory is in effect.
A bit of snow
By the time this storm starts to wrap up, most of the snow will have fallen above 7,500 feet, with higher peaks on mountains like San Jacinto in Riverside likely seeing around a foot.
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Snow levels will drop from 8000 feet tonight and early Friday to 6500-7000 feet through Friday afternoon #cawx #socal winter weather advisory in effect above 6500 feet - carry chains if traveling in the mountains pic.twitter.com/NkfKqisAjm
— NWS San Diego (@NWSSanDiego) December 21, 2023
Lower elevation locations including Big Bear's beginner area may see a few inches.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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