Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Flood Advisory Issued For LA County. But No, This Probably Isn't Enough Rain To End Our Fire Season
Rain falls during an early season storm in Los Angeles on October 25, 2021.
(
Jacob Margolis
/
LAist
)
While Northern California is seeing record-setting rainfall, debris flows in recently burned areas and a potential end to wildfire season with this series of atmospheric rivers, the rain falling on Southern California isn’t quite as intense.
That said, there is now a flood advisory in place for L.A. County.
Flood advisory issued for LA County as moderate to heavy rain overspreads the county through 4 pm. Roadway flooding will be likely, along with the threat of minor mud and debris flows in recent burn areas. #LAWeather #LArain #cawx #Socal pic.twitter.com/Om2mQOGo5H
— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) October 25, 2021
And there's been some exceptionally heavy precipitation on and around the Alisal Fire Burn area in Santa Barbara, with as much as four inches falling in the past 24 hours. Debris flows there have been a concern although by late morning both the flash flood warning and watch expired.
Support for LAist comes from
#Alisal Fire Area - pic.twitter.com/pUUlx7jZmN
— SBCFireInfo (@EliasonMike) October 25, 2021
Here's what that morning rainfall looked like:
At 1055 am, band of heavy rain with strong wind gusts to 40 mph approaching the Ventura county coast, and will be impacting Ventura, Oxnard, and Port Hueneme by 1105 am. . Expect brief heavy downpours, capable of roadway flooding. #LArain #LAWeather #cawx pic.twitter.com/2FguCtSkJF
— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) October 25, 2021
Ventura and Los Angeles counties are expected to get one to three inches of rain, a decent showing, but likely not enough to bring an end to wildfire conditions.
“The first couple inches of the year, the first couple of inches of precipitation, don’t quite get us there, especially since we’re still in our Santa Ana wind season,” explained Jayme Laber, hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
Over an inch of #LArain in parts on the San Gabriels. Mountains are going to start looking a lot greener https://t.co/D8aT5KoYc5 pic.twitter.com/1yghJT3L6R
— Aaron Mendelson (@a_mendelson) October 25, 2021
While it may not be enough to solve the longer-term drought conditions, it is enough rain to cause problems.
Support for LAist comes from
What's Next
Once this storm passes, our drought riddled landscapes will likely dry back out as the weather warms back up. Through the rest of the week temperatures will return to the 70s and 80s, and dry winds will blow, all of which is typical for this time of year. We don’t usually expect to see precipitation until mid to late November.
The Santa Ana winds peak between December and February and are strong drivers of fires, which is why fire season can run through winter if rain never shows up.
“We’re still not out of the woods,” L.A. County Fire’s Chief Chad Sourbeer said.
In the coming days fire agencies including L.A. County Fire will head out to do fuel moisture tests which indicate to them how vulnerable vegetation is to catching on fire.
It’s pretty simple: the drier plants are the easier they burn when a fire shows up.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The bill would increase penalties for metal recyclers who possess or purchase metal used in public infrastructure. -
The new ordinance applies to certain grocers operating in the city and has led to some self-checkout lanes to shutter. -
Children asked to waive right to see a judge in exchange for $2,500 -
There’s still a lot to be determined as the refinery, which supplies about one-fifth of Southern California's vehicle fuels, works to restore production and as data is collected. -
The FCC voted to end E-Rate discounts for library hotspot lending and school bus Wi-Fi. -
About half the Pacific Airshow’s 2025 lineup has been grounded because of the federal government shutdown.
Best of LAist