Showers continued to fall across much of the Southland, sparking mudslides in some areas and raising concerns about flooding, and more rain is on the way Wednesday. However, an end finally appeared to be sight after multiple days of rain that heavily saturated the region.
The National Weather Service noted that showers and isolated thunderstorms were in the forecast Tuesday night, but they “should end rather quickly by around midnight.”
“This means Los Angeles and Ventura counties are in line for a break from the rain during the day on Wednesday,” according to the NWS.
Some gusty winds are expected to develop Wednesday and continue into Thursday. There will be a chance of some precipitation by Wednesday evening, with “about a three-hour period of steady rain and mountain snow,” forecasters said. Rain rates were expected to be around 0.25 to 0.5 inches per hour, highest in the mountains.
“On any other week, rain of this nature would not be much of an issue, but considering that much of our area is water logged, we might see some flooding issues in creeks and roads,” according to the NWS. “There is also a 10 percent chance of thunderstorms.”
A winter storm warning will remain in effect until 8 a.m. Thursday in the eastern San Gabriel Mountains, where forecasters said 20 inches of additional snow could fall above 7,000 feet, with as much as 3 inches possible as low as 3,000 feet.
A winter weather advisory will remain in effect until 8 a.m. Thursday in the western San Gabriel Mountains and the Antelope Valley (14) and northern Golden State (5) freeway corridors.
“Some showers will linger around on Thursday, but all areas should finally see an end to the precipitation by Friday afternoon or evening except for light snow on the north slopes into Friday night,” forecasters said.
Los Angeles County is expected to receive roughly another half-inch to 1.5 inches of rain by Friday across most of the area, with possibly double that amount in the mountains, according to the National Weather Service.
A strong storm cell passed through southeastern Los Angeles County Tuesday morning, prompting sudden flooding and mudflows in the La Habra Heights, Hacienda Heights and La Mirada areas, inundating several streets and potentially damaging some homes. The NWS had issued a flash flood warning in that area, noting that heavy rain began falling in the area just before 9:30 a.m.
A county fire spokesman said the mud flowed up to two homes in the Hacienda Heights area, forcing both to be evacuated, while a third was evacuated as a precaution. One of the homes appeared to suffer severe damage, with the mud crashing through a wall of the structure.
There were no reports of any injuries.
In Anaheim, police and firefighters rescued a pregnant woman who got stuck in a storm drain that fed into the “fast-moving waters” of the Santa Ana River, Anaheim police Sgt. Jon McClintock said. First responders rushed to the river upstream from Imperial Highway at 9:15 a.m. and got the woman free by 11:40 a.m., McClintock said.
The woman, who was possibly a transient, escaped injury, McClintock said.
In San Clemente, where a sliding hillside had previously forced a halt to passenger rail service between Orange and San Diego counties, the rains prompted more slope movement on Tuesday. That movement halted plans to move freight trains through the area overnight. Orange County transportation and Metrolink officials plan to reassess the slope movement on Wednesday.
The storm that began Sunday afternoon has already toppled local precipitation records.
As of midday Tuesday, the storm had already dropped more than 12 inches in Bel Air over the three-day period, about 12 inches in Sepulveda Canyon at Mulholland and 11.7 inches in Woodland Hills, according to the National Weather Service. Beverly Hills received more than 8 inches, while downtown Los Angeles got about 8.1 inches and Pasadena saw 8.1 inches.
The two-day rain total for downtown Los Angeles for Sunday and Monday was 7.03 inches, the third highest rain total for two consecutive days in downtown L.A. since 1877, when rain totals started being recorded, according to the NWS. The highest two-day total was 7.98 inches set on Dec. 31, 1933, and Jan. 1, 1934. The second highest two-day total was 7.44 inches set on Jan. 25 and 26, 1956.
In just two days, downtown Los Angeles has received roughly half of its 30-year average seasonal rainfall, which is 14.25 inches.
According to the National Weather Service, 4.10 inches of rain fell in downtown Los Angeles Sunday, breaking the daily rainfall total for Feb. 4 of 2.55 inches set in 1927. It was the third wettest February day and the 12th wettest day for anytime during the year since 1877, when rainfall totals first started being recorded. The wettest day on record for downtown Los Angeles was 5.88 inches set on March 21, 1938.
A total of 1.76 inches of rain were reported at Los Angeles International Airport Sunday, breaking the record for the day of 0.56 inches set in 1958. There were 1.50 inches of rain reported at Long Beach Airport, breaking the record for the day of 0.69 inches set in 1975.
Downtown Los Angeles broke another record Monday, receiving 2.93 inches of rain. That set a record for the date, surpassing the previous record of 2.30 inches, set 123 years ago in 1901, according to the NWS.
A total of 2.57 inches of rain were reported at Los Angeles International Airport Monday, again breaking the record for the day of 1.42 inches set in 1978. There were 2.57 inches of rain reported at Long Beach Airport, breaking the record for the day of 1.4 inches set in 1978.
A total of 2.19 inches of rain were reported at Hollywood Burbank Airport Monday, breaking the record for the day of 1.46 inches set in 2009.
The record rainfall extended to the Antelope Valley. There were 1.7 inches of rain reported at Palmdale Airport, breaking the record for the day of 0.61 of an inch set in 1948. The rainfall in Lancaster was 1.49 inches, breaking the record for the day of 0.48 of an inch set in 2009.
The NWS issued a series of flood advisories and flash flood warnings Tuesday as rain fell in spurts across the area.
Mud and debris flows continue to be a risk, with multiple homes already damaged by slides that occurred Sunday and Monday.
Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley said that as of Monday afternoon, the LAFD had responded to 307 reports of mudslides and 35 incidents of buildings requiring inspection due to mudslides or slope failures. Five buildings had been red-tagged as uninhabitable and seven others were yellow-tagged, which allows people to enter only to collect their belongings.
In the Hollywood Hills, a mudslide severely damaged six homes and threatened a seventh along Beverly Drive in the Beverly Crest area. Los Angeles Fire Department crews escorted 15 residents out of the area, including nine children, but no injuries were reported. City Building and Safety crews were assessing the extent of damage to the homes.
Two homes sustained significant damage in Studio City when mud and debris slid down a hillside along Lockridge Road. Fire crews evacuated residents from nine homes on the stretch. In the Tarzana/Encino area, three homes were impacted by a debris flow along Boris Drive, prompting some evacuations.
The city of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority increased shelter and housing voucher availability to accommodate an influx of homeless people coming in from the storm. Shelters were opened at the Lincoln Heights Senior Citizen Center at 2323 Workman St., Mid Valley Senior Citizen Shelter at 8825 Kester Ave. in Panorama City, South LA Sports Activity Center at 7020 S. Figueroa St. and Oakwood Recreation Center at 767 California Ave. Residents can call 2-1-1 for transportation to a shelter.
Los Angeles officials urged residents to stay home and off the roads as the storm continued. Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in eight counties in the state, including Los Angeles and Orange counties.
Los Angeles County later declared its own state of emergency, and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Monday also signed a local emergency declaration.
The emergency proclamations will help expedite procurement of vital supplies and resources, deployment of disaster service workers and the use of emergency protective measures such as evacuation orders, officials said.
“We’ll get any help on the way as soon as you guys request it, so just let me know,” President Joe Biden told Bass in a telephone call during her late Monday afternoon briefing.