201901.13
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Flash flood watch issued for 4 counties; evacuations urged for Inland Holy fire burn area

by in News

A voluntary evacuation warning and a flash flood watch for the Inland Holy fire burn area was issued Sunday as Southern California braced for more rain, snow, strong winds and high surf throughout the week.

The rain is expected Monday, with the warnings issued ahead of it.

The National Weather Service’s flash flood watch will be in effect from Monday afternoon through Monday evening and covers an area that includes Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties, including mountains.

The NWS said the storm could bring heavy rainfall of 1 to 2 inches, and higher in some areas, with rainfall amounts possibly reaching one-half to 1 inch over one hour, with heaviest rates near the coast.

“There is the potential of mudslides and debris flows at recent burn scars, particularly near the Holy fire burn scar,” a statement from the NWS said.

The Riverside County Emergency Management Department issued on Sunday afternoon a “should go now”  voluntary evacuation warning for several communities in the footprint of the Holy fire, which this summer burned 23,136 acres in Riverside and Orange counties. There was no similar warning Sunday afternoon from Orange County officials for that side of the fire area.

The NWS also issued a winter storm watch for Monday and Tuesday, with snow expected in mountains above 5,000 feet in  Riverside and San Bernardino counties and said strong southeast to south winds will move ahead of the system.

No evacuation warning was issued as of Sunday afternoon for the Cranston fire area in the San Jacinto Mountains.

For the lower elevations, the storm is expected to begin at various times on Monday, moving into Los Angeles County after first making landfall in the coastal areas above it during the morning; the storm will hit Orange County and Inland areas in the afternoon.

That one storm will carry two punches, said Los Angeles/Oxnard based National Weather Service meteorologist Kathy Hoxsie. And it will be followed by another system arriving Wednesday and lasting through Thursday, with residual showers likely until Friday.

“This week is going to be wet, mostly light to moderate with heavier rain moving through, with some short breaks of sprinkles or even sunshine,” Hoxsie said in a telephone interview. “But there’s not one day that we don’t expect rainfall” from Monday through Friday, she said.

Dry and warmer weather is expected for next weekend.

Following a storm that dumped rain and snow throughout the area on Friday and Saturday, the NWS warned the coming storms could bring urban floods including mud and debris flows over burn scars, like that possible in the Holy fire area.

Groundwater beneath some streams and rivers might be replenished enough from the recent storm for the waterways to swell, the NWS said.

On Friday, Los Angeles County officials warned residents who lived in the Woolsey fire burn area to stay vigilant during the storms.

“Peak rainfall rates may result in significant mud and debris flow, and we encourage Woolsey Fire survivors to be ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice,” Los Angeles County Fire Chief  Daryl L. Osby said in a statement.

The fire burn areas range from Ventura County into Los Angeles County’s coastal areas and then deep inland, well past Agoura Hills.

A high surf advisory was in effect Sunday through Tuesday night for Los Angeles County beaches and a beach hazard statement for Orange County and San Diego County beaches from Monday afternoon through Friday afternoon, with surf building throughout the week starting at 4 to 6 feet, with 5 to 8 feet on Friday including possible 10 foot sets.

Strong rip currents and minor coastal flooding were among the cautions from the NWS.

Storm protection resources:

For Los Angeles County: www.lacounty.gov/LARAIN/

Orange County: www.ocfa.org

Riverside County: www.rivcoready.org