L.A. County was facing a chance of thunderstorms, strong winds that could topple trees and downpours Monday night as another storm moved through Southern California following a weekend of sometimes heavy rain.
A flood advisory was issued until midnight for a wide swath of northern and western L.A. County, including Malibu; the San Fernando, San Gabriel and Santa Clarita valleys; and eastern Ventura County, including Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley.
The rain was starting to weaken in intensity by 7 p.m. as the main band of the storm moved southeast toward Orange County. But L.A. County residents were advised to remain on alert for potential flooding, weather service meteorologist Lisa Phillips said.
“We’re looking at similar hazards as what we’ve had with areas of roadway flooding, mud and rockslides, especially for mountain passes and canyon roads,” Phillips said, “and also the potential for some debris flows out of burn scars.”
Warm Springs Camp, in the mountains overlooking the Santa Clarita Valley, recorded an 18-hour rainfall total of 2.5 inches by Monday evening, while areas in the Santa Monica Mountains recorded totals of around 1.25 inches.
During Monday’s storm, officials reported a large rock falling on the Grapevine section of the 5 Freeway, and rock falls in the unincorporated community of Monte Nido in the Santa Monica Mountains as well as along a remote section of Highway 150 in Ventura County.
Trees fell in the unincorporated communities of Topanga in the Santa Monica Mountains and Mira Monte in Ventura County, blocking entire roadways. In Thousand Oaks, a large tree fell onto an apartment building and more than a dozen residents were displaced.
Forecasters warned of a 40% to 50% chance that rain could fall so fast it triggers debris flow in the Palisades, Eaton and Bridge burn scars. A debris flow is a type of landslide in which rain falls rapidly down a hillside and collects mud and other debris along the way. They can be minor, covering roads and driveways with muck, or large and destructive, capable of moving cars at speeds of up to 35 mph and pummeling homes with boulders and a wall of mud.
A brief, weak tornado remained possible somewhere over the L.A. Basin.
Monday’s storm caused problems to the northwest of Los Angeles by Monday afternoon. Large trees fell and roadways were flooded in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties earlier Monday. Highway 1 had to be closed near Santa Maria because of flooding around the Rancho Maria Golf Course; a minor debris flow covered most of Highway 46 in mud and debris roughly halfway between Paso Robles and Cambria; and heavy rainfall caused the Conejo Creek to flood farm fields near the 101 Freeway in Camarillo, according reports filed to the weather service.
There was a possibility of snow overnight at elevations above 6,000 feet. Then, on Tuesday, there is a chance of scattered showers and a 10% to 20% chance of thunderstorms as the remainder of the front moves through the region.
Southern California is forecast to get a respite from the rainy weather Wednesday before another storm system moves into the region on Thursday into Friday.
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