777rainbow Fire-ravaged areas in LA County under flood watch

Marine One, with President Donald Trump aboard, flies above devastation caused by wildfires, in areas of Los Angeles, Friday, Jan 24, 2025. A flood watch is in effect through Monday for these fire-ravaged areas. (Mandel Ngan/Pool via AP)

LOS ANGELES – A flood watch is in effect through Monday for the Eaton, Palisades, Franklin, Bridge and Hughes burn scars in Los Angeles County, according to the National Weather Service.

“A cold upper level low pressure system will bring shower activity to the region through at least Monday morning, then diminishing some by Monday afternoon,” the forecast reads.

“As a result of these locally higher rainfall rates exceeding USGS thresholds, there is the potential for flash flooding and debris flows across the recent burn scars, especially the Eaton, Palisades, Franklin, Bridge, and Hughes burn scars.”

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The flood watch followed the first of what’s expected to be three days of rain and authorities have switched gears from worrying about fires to possible flooding and landslides.

`Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop,” the NWS said.

Authorities have since last month unveiled a raft of measures to kickstart sluggish consumption and address a prolonged and debilitating debt crisis in the country’s colossal property sector.

The NWS also issued a winter storm warning that will be in place from Saturday to Monday for the eastern San Gabriel Mountains, and a winter weather advisory during the same hours in the Golden State (5) Freeway corridor in the northern reaches of the county.

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Forecasters warned that “heavy snow” is expected in the eastern San Gabriels, possibly accumulating up to 14 inches in some areas, although only an inch or less is anticipated along the Grapevine stretch of the 5 Freeway.

For the rest of the area, rain is expected to arrive early Sunday, with only light showers anticipated through Sunday morning. But “chances for higher rain rates will be increasing Sunday afternoon into Monday,” according to the NWS.

The exact amount of rain expected has been in flux, with some forecasts initially indicating between a quarter- and half-inch, but others calling for slightly more.

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Thunderstorms are also possible with the system.

Local authorities aren’t taking any chances.

Mark Pestrella, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, said crews were preparing for the potential rain, deploying K-rails, sandbags and other devices “to manage sediment and debris.”

In the Eaton Fire area, crews were using Santa Anita racetrack as a staging area for supplies, and on the west side near the Palisades Fire, Santa Monica Airport was being used as a base of operations.

“Currently, our crews are clearing debris from streets, cleaning and preparing debris basins, deploying sandbags and other systems to keep runoff with ash and other burn debris from entering the storm drain system,” he said.

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“Public Works is also working with the state to coordinate the deployment of K-rail in burn areas.”

Pestrella urged burn-area residents who have returned to their homes to plan to stay indoors during the storm event, saying that while officials do not expect the rain to cause damaging flows that would mandate evacuations, sediment and debris will still likely flow into streets.

He said people who live in homes that back up to recently burned hillside areas can have county crews come to their homes and inspect their properties to see if any mitigation efforts are needed to protect against possible landslides.

But he warned: “If … there is a slope behind your home that is burned and it’s maybe 20 feet or more in height, and it is adjacent to the property in any direction, your best bet is not to be in that home when it rains.”

The county Department of Public Works is the lead agency coordinating fire-debris-removal efforts following the Palisades and Eaton blazes, in conjunction with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency –which is handling the first-phase removal of hazardous wastes — and the Army Corps of Engineers, which will oversee physical debris removal.

Officials with those agencies noted that preliminary work on removal has begun, but mainly with assessments and establishing temporary storage areas for debris being removed.

Residents seeking sandbags for protection against possible debris flow were asked to visit the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works website.

The rain will arrive as firefighters continue to make progress encircling major wildfires that have struck the region in recent weeks.

The Eaton Fire in the Altadena and Pasadena areas was 95 percent contained after burning 14,021 acres, and authorities said Saturday that repopulation efforts were completed.

The Palisades Fire was 87 percent contained after burning 23,448 acres. Many residents are returning home under escort by sheriff’s deputies, but some areas remain under an evacuation order.

The Hughes Fire near Castaic Lake has burned 10,425 acres since breaking out Wednesday, and was 90 percent contained Saturday, according to Cal Fire. (With CNS report)

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