The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a flood watch for recently burned areas in Southern California from Sunday at 4 p.m. to Monday at 4 p.m.
The watch covers several major burn scars, including the Eaton, Palisades, Franklin, Hughes, and Bridge fire areas, amid increasing concern about potential debris flows.
Newsweek has reached out to the NWS via email for comment on Saturday afternoon.
Why It Matters
Southern California faces its first significant rain of the winter following a series of devastating wildfires that have left the region vulnerable to flooding.
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The Palisades fire, now 81 percent contained, has burned more than 23,400 acres, destroyed 6,809 structures and claimed 11 lives.
The Eaton fire has proven even more destructive, burning over 14,000 acres, destroying 9,418 structures, and resulting in 17 fatalities despite reaching 95 percent containment.
The Hughes fire, while smaller at 10,400 acres and 87 percent containment, adds to the region’s vulnerable burn areas.
Stock image: Vehicles travel toward downtown as rain continues to fall during the morning commute as a powerful long-duration atmospheric river storm impacts Southern California on February 6, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Stock image: Vehicles travel toward downtown as rain continues to fall during the morning commute as a powerful long-duration atmospheric river storm impacts Southern California on February 6, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
What To Know
According to the NWS, rainfall totals will vary significantly across the region, with mountain areas receiving up to two inches while other areas may see as little as a quarter inch.
Regular rainfall rates will typically range from one-tenth to one-quarter inch per hour, though isolated areas could experience rates up to three-quarters of an inch per hour—sufficient to trigger debris flows in burn areas.
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The probability of significant flash flooding and debris flows in the most vulnerable areas has doubled from the initial forecast, now standing at 10 percent to 20 percent.
Additional hazards include possible thunderstorms, small hail, and wind gusts reaching 60 mph in the Antelope Valley foothills.
What Is Debris Flow?
Debris flows represent the most dangerous form of landslides, consisting of powerful mixtures of mud, rocks, boulders, trees, and sometimes even homes or vehicles, according to the NWS.
While often called mudslides or mudflows, debris flows pose a unique threat due to their devastating power. They can occur during intense rainfall after wildfires, requiring only a brief period of heavy rain—about half an inch in an hour—rather than prolonged precipitation.
Their unpredictable nature and rapid speed make them particularly hazardous, as they can outpace both pedestrians and vehicles.
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Traditional protective measures like sandbags and retaining walls prove ineffective against these powerful flows, making evacuation the only reliable safety measure.
What People Are Saying
National Weather Service Office in Oxnard: “The threat is high enough to prepare for the worst-case scenario.”
Ryan Kittell, National Weather Service Meteorologist told the LA Times: “They’re some of the freshest burn scars. They’re close to communities and/or vulnerable infrastructure. And the orientation of the terrain would favor those areas, in particular, having the higher chances, the higher potentials, for those higher totals and rainfall intensities.”
Alex Tardy, National Weather Service San Diego Meteorologist: “This is a slow-moving storm, so it’s going to be stubborn. It’s going to hang around. It’s going to send waves of moisture through Monday. So, I think that’s really going to add up to significant rain and snow.”
A low-pressure system from the north will bring colder temperatures and rain chances to southern California as early as Saturday afternoon, lasting into Monday. Credit: NWS A low-pressure system from the north will bring colder temperatures and rain chances to southern California as early as Saturday afternoon, lasting into Monday. Credit: NWS
What Happens Next
The NWS urges residents to avoid recently burned areas during the high-risk period, particularly from Sunday afternoon through Monday.
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Emergency preparedness recommendations include maintaining adequate supplies in case of road access disruption.
Syracuse Orange forward Donnie Freeman (1) defended by California Golden Bears center Milos Ilic (8) and California Golden Bears guard Semetri Carr (3) at the JMA Wireless Dome Wednesday Feb. 11, 2026, in Syracuse, N.Y. The Dome was partly lit running on auxiliary power following a surge that knocked out most lighting.
Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse.com
Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse.com
Syracuse, N.Y. — Syracuse University announced a crowd of 19,053 for its men’s basketball matchup vs. California at the JMA Wireless Dome on Wednesday night.
The figure represents tickets sold to the game.
Syracuse won the game 107-100 in double overtime.
It was a wild night at the dome as the building experienced two power surges.
The second surge, which occurred in overtime, took out the scoreboards. The court at the JMA Dome remained lit and the game was able to finish out even some residual light lost due to the scoreboards and ribbon lighting being out after the second power surge.
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Syracuse has averaged 17,062 tickets sold through 14 home games of the 2025-26 season, a mark that ranks sixth in the country.
SU’s next home game is on Saturday February 14 against SMU at 2 p.m.
Brent Axe, a Syracuse native, has been a sports commentator in Central New York for 25 years and counting.
Axe has been a sports columnist, podcaster and video content producer at Syracuse.com since December…
Public health officials say they’ve identified a total of eight measles cases in Shasta County as contact tracing continues.
The cases are linked to one first identified Jan. 30, with Shasta County Health and Human Services officials saying all seven new cases involve close contacts of that person.
Officials noted that the new patients all isolated before they became possibly contagious.
“Our public health teams want to thank the individuals affected, those who were exposed, and our community as a whole for working closely with our staff and following public health guidance. Your quick action and support have helped us manage this outbreak and continue protecting our community,” said Shasta County Public Health Director Katie Cassidy in a statement.
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California has seen a total of 17 confirmed measles cases in 2026, with Napa County recently seeing its first case in nearly 15 years.
Across the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control reports a total of 733 confirmed measles cases in 20 states so far in 2026. Along with the more than 2,400 measles cases in 2025, the U.S. is reportedly poised to lose its “measles-free” classification from the Pan American Health Organization.
Contact tracing is still underway in Shasta County for people who may have been in the following areas and times:
-Ninja Coalition, 900 Dana Drive on January 23 from 2:30 to 5:20 p.m.
-An informal, outdoor capture the flag sport event at Highland Neighborhood Park, 555 Mill Valley Parkway, Redding, on January 23 from noon to 4 p.m.
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-Osaka Sushi, 1340 Churn Creek Rd., on January 23 from 6:30 to 10 p.m.
-A gym basketball game at the former CrossPointe Community Church, 2960 Hartnell Ave., Redding on January 24 from 1:45 to 5 p.m.
-Costco, 4805 Bechelli Lane, Redding, on January 24 from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
-Churn Creek HealthCare clinic, 3184 Churn Creek Road, Redding, on January 28 from 1:45 to 5 p.m.
Trump on immigration: ‘We can use a little bit of a softer touch’
In an interview with NBC News, President Donald Trump said his administration “can use a little bit of a softer touch” when it comes to immigration.
A federal judge has blocked California from enforcing a new law that would ban federal immigration agents and other law enforcement officers from wearing face coverings.
The Department of Justice sued to strike down the ban in November after it was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September. In a ruling on Feb. 9, U.S. District Judge Christina Snyder preliminarily struck down the law and upheld another California law that requires federal officers to display their identification while performing their official duties.
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The Trump administration hailed the ruling as a win, with Attorney General Pam Bondi calling it a “key court victory.” The DOJ argued in the lawsuit that immigration agents “face a real threat of criminal liability from state officials who have made clear their intent to target federal officers and disrupt federal law enforcement activities, including federal immigration enforcement.”
“These federal agents are harassed, doxxed, obstructed, and attacked on a regular basis just for doing their jobs. We have no tolerance for it,” Bondi said in her statement on Feb. 9.
Newsom also counted the ruling to uphold the identification law as “a clear win for the rule of law,” and said “no badge and no name mean no accountability.”
More: Safety measure? Or intimidation tactic? Masked ICE agents spark the debate
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In the ruling, Snyder said that the federal government would likely prove the mask ban to be unconstitutional because it treated state officers differently than federal officers; the law included local law enforcement officers and federal officers but not state officers.
The ruling comes as political tension is heightened over President Donald Trump’s surge of immigration enforcement actions in primarily Democratic-led states and cities. Weeks of protests have spread nationally after federal officers fatally shot two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, in Minneapolis, where the administration recently announced the departure of hundreds of immigration enforcement personnel. In videos and photos, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agents are routinely seen wearing face coverings while conducting operations, making arrests and clashing with protesters.
Los Angeles has also been a target for enhanced immigration enforcement, which sparked protests that at times turned violent last summer.
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More: White House negotiating with Democrats on DHS reform as deadline nears
Scott Wiener, the state senator who introduced the mask ban, said in a statement that he will introduce new legislation to include state officers, and said the ruling demonstrates that California has the right to block officers from covering their faces if state officers are included.
“Today’s federal court ruling is a huge win: The Court ruled that California has the power to protect our community by banning officers, including federal agents, from wearing masks and thus inflicting terror and shielding themselves from accountability,” Wiener, a Democrat whose area of representation includes San Francisco, said.
“ICE and Border Patrol are covering their faces to maximize their terror campaign and to insulate themselves from accountability. We won’t let them get away with it,” Wiener said.
