Authorities in Los Angeles are urging residents, especially those who live in the fire burn zones, to be prepared for possible flooding and mudslides when the storm ramps up on Thursday.
The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for all recent burn areas and San Luis Obispo County. The watch will be in effect in San Luis Obispo County from 4 a.m. Thursday to 12 p.m. Friday. The flood watch in Lake Burn Scar will be from 10 a.m. Thursday to 12 a.m. Friday. All other burn scars will have a flood watch from 1 pm Thursday through 4 a.m. Friday.
“If you are advised to evacuate, please don't leave it to chance,” Supervisor Kathryn Barger said during a press conference on Wednesday.
L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna said he expects evacuations in the burn areas during the coming storm.
“Given the information that public work has provided us, we expect and we'll be conducting evacuations in certain high-risk areas that have been identified,” he said. “And just for some clarification, the last couple of days - specifically in our Altadena area and our Malibu Lost Hills areas - we have already been notifying what we believe through public works information are the impact residences that could experience the specific mud flows or debris flows.”
He added that evacuation warnings will be issued on Wednesday for the areas officials believe are most at risk.
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While Caltrans and L.A. County crews prepare to keep mudslides and debris off the road, Mark Pestrella, director of the Department for Public Works, told KNX News’ Jon Baird that crews are doing everything they can to keep toxic materials out from the burned homes contained.
“By placing what you see in the streets, these sandbags, k-rails, waddles everywhere to force the debris that's been created by the fire..we're trying to keep that at least in the streets and not in the drainage system,” he said.
Steve Foster, a resident in the Palisades Fire Zone, told Baird he’s been preparing for this since day one of the fires.
“We've shored up the majority of all of the really endangered homes in the neighborhood,” he said.
Those interested in picking up sandbags can check out this full list of places where you can pick them up.
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