California
California faces flood and landslide risk after wildfire devastation
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
What Happens Next
The NWS urges residents to avoid recently burned areas during the high-risk period, particularly from Sunday afternoon through Monday.
Emergency preparedness recommendations include maintaining adequate supplies in case of road access disruption.