Biggest storm in more than a decade to strike Southern California Friday. Follow these wet weather driving tips.
Biggest storm in more than a decade to strike Southern California Friday. Follow these wet weather driving tips.
The largest storm since perhaps 1995 is headed for a direct hit on LA County on Friday. Torrential rain and potential flash flooding is in the forecast.
“The storm looks to be the strongest storm to hit Southwest California this season,” the National Weather Service in Los Angeles noted Thursday. “It is likely the strongest within the last six years, and possibly even as far back as December 2004 or January 1995.”
Rain will make landfall along the Central Coast and then march south into Los Angeles and Ventura Counties Thursday evening, according to the National Weather Service. From there it will intensify Friday, with rainfall up to about 1 inch per hour. On Saturday morning, the area will start to see the rain taper off, with scattered showers possible throughout the evening.
Southern California could get 2-6 inches of rain in the coastal and valley areas but between 5 and 10 inches in the mountains and foothills, with winds adding to the intensity of the storm and its rainfall.
Los Angeles has not had seen this much rainfall in a single day since 2004.
Officials are concerned about areas recently burned by wildfires.
The City of Duarte has issued a mandatory evacuation order, known as a red alert, for the community within the Fish Fire Impact Area. Effective 7:00 a.m. on Friday, 180 households are to leave their homes, officials said. The city will open the Duarte Community Center for evacuees.
“When you get that much rain in a recent fire area [and] combine that with wind, mud and debris flows are almost certain,” said Karen Herrera, Duarte’s deputy city manager.
Follow these wet-weather driving tips as you hit the soggy roads:
Stay safe and take your time out there!