California rain: Atmospheric river brings more flooding, rare tornado threat
LOS ANGELES - The first of two waves of yet another powerful atmospheric river soaked California on Monday, with periods of heavy rain, snow, thunderstorms, and landslides across California.
While this system hasn't packed the same punch as the area's recent record-setting downpours, soaked terrain led to flooding across the region,and the weather isn't done yet.
Scattered showers are expected overnight, with some pockets of heavy rain, before widespread rain comes to the area Tuesday morning. This rain is expected to center over the eastern counties and LA County.
Evacuations
An evacuation warning was issued along Santa Maria Road north of Topanga Canyon Boulevard, southeast of Calabasas, due to possible mud/debris flows from 9 a.m. Monday through 9 a.m. Wednesday.
Rain totals
According to the National Weather Service, a total of 2 to 5 inches is expected across the coasts and valleys, and 4 to 8 inches across south and southwest-facing mountain slopes and foothills. Peak rainfall rates of 0.5 to 1 inch per hour are likely.
Weather alerts
A flood watch will be in effect in most of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside and Ventura counties through Wednesday morning.
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LA County Public Works officials issued a "phase 2 debris flow forecast" Sunday for the Land Fire burn area east of Sun Valley. The alert was in effect from 9 a.m. Monday to 9 a.m. Wednesday, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department, which said moderate flooding and mudflow/sediment deposition should be anticipated in the area of McDonald Creek, Del Arroyo Drive and La Tuna Canyon Road.
Road closures
Farther south, a portion of Benedict Canyon Road was restricted to local access only due to a collapsing roadway. The "soft closure" was in effect from Mulholland Drive to Hutton Drive, with Deep Canyon Drive suggested as an alternate route.
Also, a portion of Mulholland Drive remained closed to through traffic between Skyline Drive and Bowmont Drive due to severe road damage at four locations. That closure was expected to last weeks, officials said.
State Route 150 in the ojai area is closed in both directions between Stonegate Road and Topa Lane because of mud slides and road damage, Caltrans announced.
In Ventura County, the northbound 101 Freeway from Seaward Avenue to California Street in Ventura has two lanes closed due to flooding in the area where drainage repairs are currently underway.
The FOX Forecast Center said that while the amount of moisture coming off the Pacific Ocean will be less concentrated than the past atmospheric river events, it’s the duration of the storm that will be problematic.
Computer forecast models indicate steering winds, which usually push along low-pressure systems, will considerably weaken, allowing the storm to sit and spin off the coast for two to three days.
That Level 2 out of 4 risk of flooding is across an area that stretches from Northern California to Central California, including much of the Golden State's coastline from the Eureka area to the U.S.-Mexico border.
The flood threat continues on Tuesday, and the risk of flooding will be located in Southern California from Los Angeles to San Diego on Wednesday.
Other closures
Shortly before 3 p.m. Monday, Los Angeles officials said multiple city departments are working together to close the Sepulveda Basin, "for the safety of pedestrians and motorists."
Relief in sight
Dry weather with warming temperatures is expected to return Thursday and Friday, before another possible bout of light rain next weekend.
FOX Weather and City News Service contributed to this report.