Wet Weather Will Continue Through Wednesday, Along With Flood And Mudslide Warnings

The wet weather we all woke up to (again) is expected to continue through Tuesday evening, and possibly into Wednesday. In addition to the impact on the roads, the rain could cause flooding — and, on the positive side, could get us safely through wildfire season.

The storm is moving Northeast, and the heaviest hit area is near San Luis Obispo. Experts expect the most rain Tuesday afternoon and evening, with the possibility of thunderstorms and flash flooding in recently burned areas.

According to the National Weather Service, the Los Angeles basin could receive one to three inches of rain between Monday and Wednesday. One to two feet of snow could also fall in the San Gabriel Mountains.

Evacuations

City of Duarte: A mandatory evacuation was issued for 25 homes in the Fish Fire impact area on Monday night, on Mel Canyon Rd. between Brookridge Rd. and Fish Canyon Rd.). Valley View Elementary School was closed on Tuesday and may be closed on Wednesday as well.

Some residents chose to sign refusal to evacuate notices. The Duarte Community Center began taking displaced residents at 11 p.m., however it has remained empty so far.

K-rails, which are very large concrete devices used as barriers to prevent debris and mudflow from coming down into homes, have been installed in the area.

Victoria Rocha, Duarte's Public Information Officer, said officials are anticipating the heaviest rainfall to happen between 12 and 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

"We will monitor the situation, particularly during that heavy rainfall, to determine if we need to stay in a red alert moving into Wednesday, and also [if we need to] keep the school closed," she said.

Updates will be available on the city's Twitter.

Orange County: The risk of mudslides has triggered mandatory evacuations and road closures in the Silverado, Williams, and Modjeska Canyons.

O.C. Sheriff's Sergeant Scott Steinle said residents living in the burn scar area of the Bond Fire are being asked to leave while the rain is light.

"We would ask, while the roads are passable, that those residences would take heed to the warnings and find shelter, maybe go to a friend's or another family residences," he said.

For residents without a place to stay, a reception center has been setup at the Norman P. Murray Community Center in Mission Viejo. Displaced residents can also drop off their ballots or vote at the shelter.

Road closures and evacuations are expected to last through Tuesday. For updates, visit the county's website or Twitter.

"When there's a potential for flash flooding or mud debris flows near burn areas, your life could be in danger,” said NWS meteorologist Todd Hall. “Please heed [any] evacuation orders."

City of Yucaipa: Residents in the communities of Oak Glen, Forest Falls, Mountain Home Village, Angelus Oaks and Northeast Yucaipa have been asked to voluntarily evacuate.

Flood Watches

Flood Watch
Through Wednesday morning:

• Santa Ana mountains and foothills
• Orange County inland areas, including the cities of Santa Ana, Irvine, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Anaheim, Orange, and Mission Viejo

Flash Flood Watch
Through Wednesday morning:

• Bond/Silverado burn scar

Winter Storm Warning

• San Bernardino and Riverside Counties

Flood Advisory
Through 1:45 p.m. Tuesday:

• San Luis Obispo County
• Santa Barbara County

Wildfires

On the flip side, the rain will provide some badly needed moisture to dry areas, decreasing the risk of wildfires.

Hall said that could have a significant impact.

"We're talking about critical fire weather conditions and wildfire potential, and so if we can have this in the fall, this is perfect to alleviate some of the fire weather concerns,” said Hall. “We could get out of this time period relatively unscathed."