Volatile Weather Pattern for the West Will Linger Another Day

It has been a wild week of weather across the West Coast with California taking the brunt of the impacts. Evacuation warnings were issued in parts of Los Angeles County on Wednesday as heavy rain running down recent burn scars put residents at risk of debris flows. Here is a recap of what has been happening in the western U.S. and when the moisture machine is expected to turn off for a bit.

Unsettled Weather Persisting Up and Down the West Coast

A series of potent storms have been churning across the western U.S. this week, ushering in significant amounts of rain and snow. The system shifted to the south by the end of the week, sending the bulk of the moisture into Southern California. The influx of rain across the burn scars left behind by January's deadly wildfires created dangerous debris flows.

Evacuation warnings were issued on Wednesday for some burn scar areas in Los Angeles County. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass warned that the debris flows and runoff may be littered with hazardous materials as cleanup from the fires is still ongoing. Local officials are asking residents to remain vigilant and to be ready to evacuate. Bass confirmed that evacuation orders were issued for 133 homes on Wednesday.

Over 20 million residents of Southern California were under flood watches on Thursday as the rain continued to fall. Excessive rainfall and the resulting runoff will keep the flooding threat elevated heading into the weekend.

The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services positioned search and rescue personnel across 11 counties in the Golden State in an effort to be ready for the potential impacts. Officials have also placed several live-stream cameras in burn scar areas so that the public can monitor the possibility of dangerous debris flows.

A shelter-in-place was ordered for the Lake Fire burn scar area in Santa Barbara. Those in the impacted area were advised to seek higher ground in the event of a rockslide, mudslide, or debris flow.