The storm occurs two months after the Greater Los Angeles area’s homes and businesses were destroyed, leaving the area susceptible to subsidence and mudslides.
Due to the likelihood of flash flooding and power outages caused by heavy rain and snow, the West Coast is preparing for an atmospheric river event that could make travel dangerous or even impossible for certain commuters.
Several areas that have burn scars from the Palisades and Eaton Fires already have evacuation warnings in effect. Flash flood warnings have also been issued for a significant portion of the region due to forecasts of up to 4 inches of rain over night.
“We’re dealing with a fast-moving storm that’s going to dump down a lot of rain in a short amount of time,” Melissa Magee, a meteorologist for NBC Los Angeles, stated in her prediction on Wednesday
Significant precipitation, snowfall, and wind gusts of up to 70 mph were forecast by the National Weather Service to produce “dangerous to potentially impossible travel conditions across the Sierra Nevada and northern California higher terrain today.”
In a statement, LA Mayor Karen Bass stated, “I urge all Angelenos to heed all weather warnings, especially as heavy rain approaches.” “This storm may affect residences throughout the city as well as burn sites. To prevent mudflows, city workers have placed thousands of sandbags and concrete barriers.
All of Los Angeles is under a flood watch until at least 6 p.m. (9 p.m. ET) on Thursday, in addition to evacuation alerts.
In the Greater Los Angeles area, pea-sized hail is predicted to begin at 3:45 a.m. (6:45 a.m. ET), and the NWS advises residents to “seek shelter in a sturdy structure.”
According to the NWS, heavy rain could result in flash flooding in some areas of Southern California, and up to two feet of snow could cause power outages in certain areas.
Two months after homes and businesses in the Palisades and Eaton Fire areas were destroyed and the landscape left susceptible to mudslides and subsidence, the Pacific Coast Highway was closed early Thursday and surrounded by concrete barriers.
The LA mayor’s office reported more than 10,000 feet of concrete barriers and 6,500 sandbags were in place. The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District stated all Malibu schools would shutter on Thursday because of road closures.
By:- Next Tech Plus
