About 13 million people are under flood watches across Northern California, where heavy rain is expected to produce areas of flooding, mudslides and debris flows through Wednesday.
The atmospheric river of moisture will take aim at north and central California, impacting cities like San Francisco and Sacramento, before it’s forecast to move to Los Angeles, where the deadly Eaton and Palisades fires were contained just days ago.
The National Weather Service warned that two storm systems are expected to impact the central and southern parts of the state this week, including San Luis Obispo, Ventura and Los Angeles.
On Monday, heavy rain will fall across Northern California, where cities like Chico, Eureka, Redding and Santa Rosa could experience some flooding.
The Weather Prediction Center depicted a “slight risk” of excessive rainfall across Northern California through early Tuesday, the weather service said in an update Monday morning.
The axis of heavy rain will shift into the Bay area on Tuesday, raising flood concerns for San Francisco as well as Sacramento.
By Wednesday, some heavy downpours could impact Los Angeles through the first half of the day. This comes just days after the announcement that the Eaton and Palisades wildfires, which killed at least 29 people, have been contained.
Los Angeles County officials announced proactive measures ahead of the storm and are warning residents to prepare by securing their property with sandbags and staying informed about the incoming storm.
“Los Angeles County has been working around the clock to prepare for this storm, clearing debris basins, reinforcing infrastructure, and making sure our residents have the resources they need to stay safe,” said Lindsey P. Horvath, Los Angeles county supervisor for the third district.
Across southern California, up to 1 inch of rain will be possible for the Los Angeles metro area, with 2 to 4 inches possible in the mountains.
Additional rainfall amounts of 5 to 10 inches are possible across the higher terrain of the coastal ranges and the northern Sierra foothills.
