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The worst of the SoCal storm is over, but mudslide threats remain
A pedestrian runs through the rain in Santa Clarita on Tuesday morning. The rare mid-October wintery storm is expected to move out by the afternoon.
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Myung J. Chun
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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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The worst of the storm is over for Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Ventura and Orange counties as of 1 p.m. Tuesday as the heaviest band of rain continues to move southeast and out of the area, according to the National Weather Service.
Roadway flooding was reported, as were rocks in roads, but there were no debris flows in recently burned areas, which was a major concern. That's fortunate because rainfall rates did exceed the threshold for first-year burn scars.
There's still a chance that isolated thunderstorms could still drop large amounts of rain, raising the risk of mudslides once again, but we should be in the clear by 7 p.m.
Rainfall totals reached 1.5 inches across much of the area, with some gauges reading 3.59 inches (Palisades), 3.9 inches (Eaton), 1.15 (downtown L.A.) and 5.67 (San Gabriel Mountains) as of 1 p.m.
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Evacuation warnings were being canceled later in the afternoon Tuesday. (Check up-to-date maps for Los Angeles and Orange counties.)
The storm front slowed overnight and perched over San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, and while the NWS were concerned enough to issue tornado warnings, no damage was documented.
The Mountain High webcam showed snowfall in the San Gabriel Mountains (the ski resort's elevation is between 6,000 and 8,200 feet, according to its website). Forecasters had predicted the possibility of snow above 7,000 feet.
Southern California doesn't often get weather events like this in mid-October, though they do happen.
The last time downtown L.A. got more than an inch of rain in a single day in October was in 2009.
This won't be enough precipitation to put an end to Southern California's fire season, though we're already ahead in terms of precipitation totals, compared with January.
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The forecast
Showers will linger until 7 p.m., after which we'll start to transition back to normal October weather.
On Wednesday, the highs in downtown L.A. will be around 66 and climb to 78 by the weekend. We could get some dry, offshore winds as well.
This October storm moved in from the north, bringing cold air and heavy rain.
(
Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere
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Colorado State University
)
Storm information by county
For the most up-to-date information on the storm from your local authorities, you can check:
Prepare for mudslides
The L.A. County Department of Public Works forecasted that isolated debris and mudflows could affect streets and structures near the following 11 burn areas:
- Eaton Fire (Altadena, Pasadena)
- Palisades Fire (Pacific Palisades)
- Hawk Fire (Acton)
- Canyon Fire (Hasley Canyon and Val Verde communities)
- Franklin Fire (Malibu)
- Hughes Fire (Castaic Lake)
- Kenneth Fire (West Hills)
- Sunset Fire (Hollywood Hills)
- Lidia Fire (Acton)
- Hurst Fire (Sylmar)
- Bridge Fire (San Gabriel River at East Fork area in L.A. County, communities of Wrightwood, Big Pines, and Mt. Baldy Village)
Sign up for emergency alerts
Be alert — and alerted
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For fire season, storm season or earthquake season (which is always), Southern Californians should be prepared. One way to prep, is to sign up for emergency notifications from local authorities.
- L.A. city: Notify L.A.
- L.A. County: Ready L.A. County
- Ventura County: Ready Ventura County
- Orange County: AlertOC
- Riverside County: AlertRivCo
- Santa Barbara County: SB Sheriff Notifications
- San Bernardino County: Emergency alerts
Understanding National Weather Service warnings
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.
- A flood 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.
Read more: Flash flood warnings? Watches? Here’s what you need to know
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Tips for driving in the rain
- Check weather and road conditions along your planned route.
- Slow down.
- Keep a wider-than-usual distance between your vehicle and the one in front.
- Don't drive through standing water — as little as 12 inches of rushing water can carry away most cars, and 2 feet can carry away SUVs and trucks.
- Make sure tires are fully inflated.
- Check windshield wiper blades and replace if necessary.
Read more: What you should do if you end up driving in a flooded area
Downed tree, power line or flooded road?
Dial 911 if it's an emergency.
However, if you need to report a flooded road or a downed tree, you can call the following non-emergency numbers:
- L.A. city: Dial 311 for a flooded road or downed tree. Call (800) DIAL-DWP if you see a downed power line.
- L.A. County: (800) 675-HELP
- Ventura County: (805) 384-1500
- Orange County: (714) 955-0200 or visit here.
If you're in L.A. County and need sand bags, you can find some at local fire houses.
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