With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
With fires coming under control, LA preps for mudslides
A sign sits near a creek in Eaton Canyon in 2023 when recent storms caused mudslides on hiking trails.
(
Wally Skalij
/
Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
)
Topline:
With charred earth all over L.A. County, officials are preparing for possible mudslides. California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order Monday that clears the way for reinforcing hillsides and cleaning out waterways quickly in anticipation of rain.
What the order does: With thunderstorms in the forecast this weekend, the order suspends environmental protection laws that would usually require impact studies and other bureaucratic delays.
Eaton Canyon had rushing water and several mudslides after recent storms.
(
Jackie Orchard
/
LAist
)
Sponsored message
Why now? Scientists say mudslides are more likely in burn scar areas because the vegetation that stabilizes soil is gone. Burn scar areas can also be less likely to absorb rain water.
“As burn scars do not absorb water at normal rates, they create a risk for mudslides, landslides, flash floods, and debris flows. Today’s action will help mitigate this risk and protect communities by hastening efforts to remove debris, bolster flood defenses, and stabilize hillsides in affected areas,” Newsom’s office said in a statement.
Why it matters: Two people died because of the Thomas Fire, which burned through Santa Barbara County in late 2017. But the mudslides that followed killed 23 people in the town of Montecito and surrounding areas.
Go deeper:
At LAist, we focus on what matters to our community: clear, fair, and transparent reporting that helps you make decisions with confidence and keeps powerful institutions accountable.
Your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
That’s why 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. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
Your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
That’s why 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. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
