California storm: LA Mayor issues local state of emergency as atmospheric river pounds region
LOS ANGELES - On Monday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued a local state of emergency as a powerful storm continued to hammer down on Southern California as the risk of life-threatening flooding remains for a greater portion of the area with constant moderate to heavy rainfall.
THE LATEST: California storm: Relentless atmospheric river continues to slam SoCal
Mayor Bass said the emergency declaration will make sure the city will have the required resources during the storm and the storm’s aftermath. This comes one day after Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for eight California counties.
Bass noted first responders across the city are fully prepared for the unprecedented weather conditions and that Saturday into Sunday marked the 10th wettest day in the history of the city. City crews have been working around the clock and several rescues have taken place.
By Monday morning, the storm had already dropped more than 10 inches of rain in Woodland Hills, according to the National Weather Service. Bel Air received nearly 10.6 inches, while Beverly Hills received more than 7 inches. Some areas in the Santa Monica Mountains received nearly 11 inches.
As of 4 p.m. Monday, county storm water facilities captured 1.3 billion gallons of water, which can serve 32,800 homes for a year.
As of 11:30 a.m. Monday, the Los Angeles Police Department had responded to 65 traffic collisions resulting in injuries. Meanwhile, the LAFD responded to over 130 flooding incidents, 49 mud and debris flow cases, extinguished half a dozen structure fires, conducted several water rescues, and managed a 132% increase in automatic alarms.
NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center (WPC) warned that the ongoing situation will continue to produce catastrophic flash and urban flooding in Los Angeles, which remains under a rare "high risk" of flash flooding.
The "high risk" is the highest rung on NOAA's flash flood threat scale and is only issued under the most dire of flooding forecasts.
The latest storm is the second atmospheric river to strike the region in recent days. Moderate to heavy rainfall has been constant since Sunday evening and remains ongoing across the Southland. The atmospheric river event is expected to last through late Tuesday morning. However, rain chances linger over the next few days and should taper off in time for the weekend.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- California storm update: Newsom declares state of emergency
- California rain: Timeline, evacuations as atmospheric river moves into SoCal
- Southern California forecast: Timeline of what to expect in the coming days
See more of what to expect below.
Weather Alerts
Winter Storm Warning
A Winter Storm Warning is in effect through 6 p.m. Tuesday in the San Bernardino County Mountains at elevations of 6,000 feet and above.
Snow totals for the area are as follows:
- 4–9 inches for elevations between 6,000 and 7,000 ft.
- 9–12 inches for elevations between 7,000 and 8,000 ft.
- 1 – 3 feet for elevations above 8,000 ft.
In addition to snow, strong winds are expected, with wind gusts reaching between 50-75 mph. Travel is not recommended at this time.
Flash Flood Warning
A flash flood warning is in effect for parts of Los Angeles County, which inclues Calabasas, Malibu, Santa Monica, Topanga and West Hollywood through Tuesday, February 6 at 5 a.m.
Flash Flood Watch
Due to excessive rainfall, a Flash Flood Watch is in effect in Los Angeles, San Bernadino, Riverside, and Orange counties through 4 p.m. Tuesday. This includes Apple and Lucerne Valleys, the coastal and inland communities of Orange County, the mountain communities in the Inland Empire, the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning, the Santa Ana Mountains and Foothills, the Catalina and Santa Barbara Islands, LA county beaches, the San Gabriel and Santa Monica Mountains, the Antelope Valley, the Santa Susana Mountains, and across Ventura County.
The NWS warns catastrophic and life-threatening flooding is possible and extensive roadway flooding is likely.
Flood Advisory
A Flood Advisory was in effect through 3 p.m. Monday in central and eastern Los Angeles County. The ongoing rain caused flooding and shallow debris flows in the area, impacting communities such as Mount Wilson, North Hollywood, Culver City, Northridge, Long Beach, Wrightwood, Griffith Park and Pasadena.
Evacuation Orders and Warnings for LA County
Evacuation Orders
- La Tuna Canyon Road area north of Hollywood Burbank Airport (affected area borders Horse Haven Street to the north, Martindale Avenue to the east, Penrose Street to the south, and Ledge Avenue to the west)
- Owen Fire area on Santa Maria Road from Topanga Canyon (now through 6 p.m. Tuesday)
- Agua Fire area along Soledad Canyon Road east of Agua Dulce Canyon Road (now through 6 p.m. Tuesday)
- Fish Fire burn scar area in Duarte on Mel Canyon Road between Fish Canyon Road and Brookridge Road in effect from 6 p.m. Sunday through 10 a.m. Tuesday.
Evacuation Warnings
- Unincorporated Los Angeles County near burn scars from 10 a.m. Sunday through 6 p.m. Tuesday, including the Juniper Hills and Valyermo areas from the Bobcat Fire
- Lake Hughes and King Canyon from the Lake Fire (20000 block of Pine Canyon Road; 18000 block of Ellstree Drive; 46000 block of Kings Canyon Road; 18000 block of Newvale Drive; 43000 block of Lake Hughes Road)
- Portions of Culver City are under evacuation warnings, including Cranks Road between Tellefson Road and St. James Drive; Tellefson Road between Cranks Road and Stubbs Lane; Ranch Road between Tellefson Road and Cranks Road; the entirety of Stubbs Lane and Lugo Way; Youngworth Road between Ranch Road and Flaxton Street; Flaxton Street between Youngworth Road and Drakewood Avenue; Drakewood Avenue between Ranch Road and Northgate Street and Bernardo Road at Tellefson Road. Those warnings are in effect until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 2.
Evacuation Shelters
- Sunland Senior Citizen Center at 8640 Fenwick St. (people and household pets)
- Lake View Terrace Recreation Center at 11075 Foothill Blvd. (people and household pets)
- Large animals can be evacuated to Hansen Dam Horse Park at 11127 Orcas Ave. in Lake View Terrace, and the LA Equestrian Center at 480 Riverside Drive in Burbank
- An emergency shelter has been set up in Culver City at the Veterans Memorial Complex at 4117 Overland Ave.
Evacuation Warnings for Orange County
As of 7 p.m. Sunday, February 4, the Orange County Sheriff's Department issued voluntary Evacuation Warnings for the following areas:
- Irvine Lake
- Black Star & Baker Canyon
- Silverado Canyon
- Williams Canyon
- Modjeska Canyon
- Live Oak & North Trabuco Canyon
- Trabuco, Rose, Holy Jim Canyon
Residents with questions about evacuations are encouraged to call 211 for more information. Residents needing shelter assistance can call 855-891-7325.
Evacuations and Orders for Ventura County
Evacuation Orders
- Matilija Canyon / North Fork / Camino Cielo (Unincorporated Ojai)
Evacuation Warnings
- Ventura RV Resort (City of Ventura) (LIFTED as of 9 a.m. Monday)
- Community of Foster Park / Camp Chaffee (Unincorporated Ventura) (LIFTED as of 10:30 a.m. Monday)
- Old Creek Road. / Creek Road (Unincorporated Ojai) (LIFTED as of 10:30 a.m. Monday)
- 4 structures on Grada Avenue & Trueno Avenue (Unincorporated Camarillo)
Evacuation Advisory
- Community of La Conchita
Evacuation Shelters
- Ventura College Gymnasium (4667 Telegraph Road, Ventura, CA 93003)
- For the Owen Fire burn area, a shelter has been established through the American Red Cross at OneGeneration Senior Enrichment Center, 18255 Victory Blvd. in Reseda. For large animals, an animal shelter is available at Agoura Animal Care Center, 29525 Agoura Road in Agoura Hills.
A full map of evacuation orders and more in Ventura County can be found by tapping or clicking here.
Flooding, mud and debris flow strike the San Fernando Valley
On Monday morning, FOX 11’s Gigi Graciette reported from Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks where the southbound roadways were flooded.
Late Sunday night, part of a hillside came down in Studio City near Fryman Canyon. At least two homes were damaged, and the residents of several homes were evacuated.
Video also shows downed trees and downed fences in Encino. A hillside essentially shifted and brought down a resident’s concrete driveway where mud and debris broke through the wall of the home. No injuries were reported.
School Closures
Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho announced on Monday that district officials had anticipated lower-than-average attendance. He revealed that the attendance records showed only 63% of students showed up for class, while staff attendance was at 90% - a group for whom he had high praise.
Overall, Carvalho said he expected better conditions on Tuesday.
Parents were encouraged to check with their child's specific school district's social media pages for the latest updates.
On Sunday night, the district had plans to keep schools open for the following day, except for Vinedale Elementary School in Sun Valley.
The following schools were closed Monday:
- Brentwood School
- Harvard-Westlake School
- Windward School
- New West Charter School
- Notre Dame High School
- St. Paul the Apostle Catholic School
The following colleges and universities shifted to remote classes on Monday:
- CSU Fullerton
- CSU Los Angeles
- CSU Northridge
- CSU San Bernardino
- Cal Poly Pomona
Classes resumed as normal at the University of Southern California, UCLA, UC Irvine, and UC Riverside.
Road Closures
Dozens of road closures were in effect across Los Angeles County.
One of the areas impacted was Baldwin Hills after a mudslide triggered a road closure along Don Ricardo Drive. Video from the scene showed parked cars stuck in a thick layer of mud.
On Monday Mulholland Drive in Calabasas was forced to close in both directions at Canyon Drive, after a car crashed into a power pole. Officials expected the closure to continue through the night.
Other Closures, Cancelations
- The Getty Center and Villa remain closed Monday
- Los Angeles Zoo closed on Monday and Tuesday
- All LA County Parks sites (regional parks, nature centers, trails, natural areas, tree farm)
- Santa Anita Park's eight-race program was rescheduled for Feb. 10.
Rainfall totals
Impressive rainfall totals have already been reported, including 8.35 inches in Matilija Canyon in Ventura County. Bel Air has already picked up 11.64 inches, and Beverly Hills has received 7.94 inches.
SUGGESTED: See rain totals in Los Angeles so far
Several more inches of rain are expected to fall across the region by the time the system ends its assault by midweek.
FOX 11's Alexa Mae Asperin and FOX Weather contributed to this report.