Multiple Storms This Week Threaten Floods and Mudslides for Millions

This winter in the US has been particularly brutal for millions of Americans, with record-breaking snowfalls in the Southeast, unthinkable cold fronts, and more. A lot of that can be attributed to the “stretched polar vortex,” but that’s a topic for another day. However, it looks like the West Coast, specifically California, is about to be hit with an interesting weather pattern the week of February 16. 

Per meteorologist Andrew Orrison with NOAA's Weather Prediction Center, the Golden State should brace for snow and rain, which has the potential to lead to mudslides and flooding for millions of Californians. 

Rain and Snow in California Could Cause Floods and Mudslides

A series of severe thunderstorms is moving across Southern California this week, with the bulk of the bad weather taking place on Monday afternoon. Orrison shares, “We actually have at least a couple of systems that are going to be impacting California in particular, with the first system coming through today [February 16] and going into the overnight hours. They'll be bringing heavy rain and some pretty heavy snowfall as well."

Additionally, the National Weather Service has issued flood advisories and flood watches for over 16 million people in Southern California for this afternoon across Ventura, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles counties. The expected 1 to 3 inches of rain in the coastal valleys and 2 to 5 inches in the mountains are areas of real concern, as the Santa Monica Mountains (Franklin and the Palisades included) have burn scars left by previous wildfires. Burn scars present a problem because the areas impacted have soil that’s harder to absorb water, making the land more susceptible to flooding and mudslides. 

Again, according to NBC, the bulk of the rain kicks off on Monday, February 16, and is expected to last off and on until Friday, February 20, when sunshine comes into the picture. It should be noted that as temperatures in the mountains potentially tank to the 30s come Monday night, going into Tuesday, the rain in the mountain location could become snow. 

Evacuation Warnings for Parts of Los Angeles County

In addition to a flood watch issued for parts of Los Angeles, there have also been evacuation warnings issued that went into effect Sunday night and last until Tuesday morning for areas with extensive burn scars. The areas impacted are Eaton, Bethany, the Canyon, Lidia, Hurst, Palisades, Kenneth, Sunset, Franklin, and Bridge fire zones.

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