Southern California rains arrive, heightening mudslide concerns in scorched areas
Editor's note: This file captures the news of the California wildfires from Sunday, Jan. 27. For the latest updates on the fires, follow Paste BN's coverage for Monday, Jan. 27.
Intermittent showers sweeping across Southern California on Sunday provided welcome relief for firefighters battling devastating wildfires but threatened to bring an unwelcome side effect — mudslides.
The forecast raises the concern of too much of a good thing. Some areas could get more than a half-inch of rain an hour later Sunday, the National Weather Service said. Showers could linger into Tuesday.
Areas where the Palisades, Franklin, Eaton, Bridge, and Hughes wildfires burned are under a flood watch, the weather service said Sunday. Fresh burn scar areas stand at greater risk of mudslides because they no longer have trees and vegetation providing support to the land, according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Jacob Hinson.
The new potential hazard puts the very homes that survived the fires at risk again.
“Our house survived but now we’re worried about the rain,” said Joan Herman told KTLA about her Pacific Palisades home. “It’s a really hard time.”
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department warned residents that mudslides can happen without warning and can quickly cause catastrophic damage, sweeping away people, vehicles, and structures.
Los Angeles authorities warned residents living in burn scar areas to stay up to date on the forecast and emergency alerts; have an emergency plan ready, including an evacuation route and meeting point; and keep a battery-powered radio, flashlight, and first-aid kit on hand.
The fires have burned around some 90 square miles, according to CalFire.
Rains began creating mudslides leading to road closures by 4:30 p.m. local time, Caltrans said on X. The state agency announced that mudflows in Topanga Canyon prompted closures of sections of the Pacific Coast Highway.
Mudflows north of Topanga Canyon prompted the Los Angeles Fire Department to rescue motorists from several stranded vehicles, according to KTLA. No injuries were reported.
Developments:
∎ Thunder and hail are possible in some areas before the storms move on, AccuWeather said. Some areas near the mountains could see up to 3 inches of rain.
∎ Many areas in Southern California have not observed more than 0.25 of an inch of rain in a single event for several months, AccuWeather said.
∎ AccuWeather Meteorologist Jacob Hinson said rainfall totals between 0.50 to 1.00 of an inch were expected for most of the Los Angeles basin, around San Diego, and near the surrounding coastal areas.
Are the wildfires under control?
The wildfires that devastated the Los Angeles area have not been completely extinguished but firefighters have made tremendous progress, according to CalFire.
California's fire protection agency provided the following data on the ongoing fires.
- Palisades Fire: 23,448 acres burned, 90% contained – started Jan. 7
- Eaton Fire: 14,021 acres burned, 98% contained – started Jan. 7
- Hughes Fire: 10,425 acres burned, 95% contained – started Jan. 22
- Border 2 Fire: 6,625 acres burned, 40% contained – started Jan. 23
Trump directs government to override California water policies if necessary
U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday issued an executive order directing the federal government to override the state of California's water-management practices if they determine that they are ineffective.
The order comes days after Trump visited the Los Angeles region, which has been devastated by a series of wildfires. Trump has criticized California's response to the crisis.
- Reuters
Wildfire risk is not just a California problem
California may seem especially prone to wildfires, but experts warn that the risk is increasing across the nation in places residents might not expect.
Think Boise, Idaho. Salt Lake City. Amarillo, Texas, Reno, Nevada, and Oklahoma City, said Kelly Pohl with Headwaters Economics, a non-profit research group in Montana that had done research on the cost of retrofitting homes to protect against wildfires.
“There are a lot of cities that share similarities with what happened in Los Angeles,” Pohl said.
A Paste BN analysis found that 3.3 million Americans live in census tracts where the wildfire risk is “very high.” Another 14.8 million live in tracts where the risk is “relatively right.” Read more here.
− Elizabeth Weise
Contributing: Reuters