LA Is Drenched. Here's How The Storm Is Impacting The Area

It's been a hot second since we had a storm like this sweep through Los Angeles and parts of Southern California. But we got you.

Read on to find out about the power outages, road closures, and evacuations that are happening during the downpour.

Power Outages

Power outages at Southern California Edison and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power have already impacted more than 10,000 customers since this morning. Eight thousand of those customers are with LADWP, according to spokesperson Deborah Hong.

Some of the largest outages included El Sereno, Inglewood, and Glendora where hundreds lost power due to storm conditions. In parts of unincorporated L.A. County, 2,686 customers have been affected as of 11:20 a.m.

Hong said repairs for LADWP equipment can take four to 12 hours depending on the issue.

“We always encourage customers to sign up for outage alerts,” Hong said. “That way they can get information that's specific to their area.”

If you’re experiencing an outage in L.A. County, check for repair updates in the outage maps through SCE and LADWP.     

Evacuations And Flash Flood Warnings

Evacuation orders were issued for residents in and around L.A. County.

Flash floods are threatening locals living close to the burn scars of the Bobcat Fire in Monrovia, the Bond Fire in Orange County, and parts of Lytle Creek where officials have asked residents to prepare for possible evacuations.

Mandatory evacuations are in place in the burn scar area of the El Dorado and Apple Fires in the Inland Empire. This includes areas in Yucaipa, Oak Glen and Fontana where heavy rain is expected from now until 4 p.m.

The storm will last throughout the day, bringing strong winds, heavy rain, and even snow in higher elevations.

Road Closures

Here’s a list of roads that will be closed starting Wednesday, Dec. 14 at 9 a.m. due to rock slides, debris, and mud flow:

• Glendora Mountain Road (East Fork to N. Big Dalton)
• Glendora Ridge Road (Glendora Mountain Road to Mt. Baldy Road)
• Mount Wilson Red Box Rd (Angeles Crest Highway to Mount Wilson Circle)
• Pine Canyon Road (Lake Hughes Road to Three Points Rd)

For more information, visit https://dpw.lacounty.gov/roadclosures/

Emergency Response

Heavy rain also brings increased danger. Roads are slippery and waves of rainwater can build up quickly. Since this morning, three vehicles have been swept into the L.A. River and one person fell in.

Near Sylmar High School at around 8 a.m. the L.A. Fire Department responded to a call from a man clinging to a side in a covered section of the river.

“We don't know what they were doing or how they got into the current,” said Nicholas Prange, an LAFD spokesperson. “That person did get rescued and had mild injuries and mild hypothermia.”

Further south near downtown, LAFD responded to reports of three vehicles in the river. It’s unclear if the vehicles were occupied prior to floating downstream or how they landed there to begin with.

The first report led them to two other vehicles, which were in the river as of 12:23 p.m. because the river’s current is too strong to pull them out.

“It’s a very confusing and dynamic day so far,” Prange said.

Rainfall Totals/Projections

As of 1:15 p.m., here’s the total amount of rain we’ve had so far:

Downtown L.A.: 1.67 inches of rain.

Coastal areas: Half an inch up to one and a half inches.

Valley areas: Ranging between one and three inches.

Mountains: Ranging between four to seven inches.

Downtown L.A. has had 0.87 inches of rain since Oct.1. With that additional 1.67 inches, it pushed us over to two inches, which is above what we normally would have at this time of year.

The normal average rainfall this time of year from October to December is 2.14 inches. We’re at 2.54, and there’s still more rain coming this rainy season.

“We’ll probably see a few calendar day records broken,” says Ryan Kittell, forecaster at the National Weather Services.

The rain is expected to last until 6 p.m.