Flood Watch: Laguna Beach Prepares For Rainy Christmas Eve, Day As Winter Storm Arrives

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — Laguna Beach will have a rainy Christmas holiday weekend with intermittent periods of heavy rain and possible flooding, the National Weather Service says.

Heavy rains are likely to fill the urban streams, sending water into neighborhoods of Orange County, according to NWS preliminary reports. One week ago during the county's last big rain event, both burn-scar areas and new housing developments across Orange County were overcome with flooding and rushing rainwater.

FLOOD WATCH ACROSS Laguna Beach, Orange County

A Flood Watch is in effect from Thursday night until Friday morning for Laguna Beach and all Orange County Coastal Areas, Orange County Inland Areas, as well as the Bond Fire burn scars, according to the National Weather Service San Diego.

Erosion control measures, such as sandbags, should be put into place as soon as possible. (Read where to find sandbags near you, below).

"Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations," meteorologists reported.

Read: Flash Flooding Rips Through Laguna Beach Neighborhood: Video

Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas. Debris flows are possible in and near the Bond Fire burn scar.

An atmospheric river will deliver heavy rainfall to Southern California with the heaviest rain occurring after midnight Thursday night through Friday morning, meteorologists report.
Total rainfall amounts of 1.5 to 2.5 inches of rain are expected across the Orange County coast and valleys with 3 to 6 inches of rain in the mountains.

Rainfall rates of over a half-inch per hour are forecast, which may result in flash flooding in washes, low-lying roads and burn scar areas.

The first storm system was expected to bring rainfall late Wednesday through Friday, with rains peaking on Thursday.

Authorities were bracing for "moderate to brief heavy rain," which could trigger flooding and minor debris flows in areas of the Southland that have been scarred by wildfires.

Read: Trapped Silverado Residents Rescued By Orange County Firefighters

The rain and lowering snow levels could impact travel as Californians hit the road to reach their holiday destinations.

SANDBAG AND FLOOD GATE PREPARATIONS:

Downtown business owners and residents should put your flood gates into place Thursday night and Friday as a precautionary measure to protect property and inventory, the city advised.
The City of Laguna Beach is providing pre-filled sandbags to residents and business owners from two locations.

Note: there is a limit of 10 bags per household. These sandbags are not for contractors.

• Act V parking lot – 1900 Laguna Canyon Road
• Aliso Beach East (inland) parking lot – 31118 Coast Highway

Empty sandbags are also available at Laguna Beach’s four fire stations. They are free, however, you must provide your own sand.

Sand can be purchased at the following locations. Please call ahead to make sure sand is available and prices are subject to change. The City does not place sandbags for the public except where there are known problems of flooding from City Streets.

• Ganahl Lumber - 1765 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach - (949) 494-6538
• Home Depot - 27301 La Paz Road, Laguna Niguel - (949) 831-3698
• Home Depot - 24332 El Toro Road, Laguna Woods - (949) 598-9171
• Larry's Building Materials - 1975 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach - (949) 494-1107

Saturday and Sunday, less rain is expected though mountain snow is likely.

The weather system was expected to linger through the weekend, bringing more rain and chilling temperatures to the Southland between Christmas Day and Sunday.

Emergency Preparedness Across Orange County

Homes in and around the Bond Fire burn scar are still at risk of flooding, according to Orange County Public Works.

Residents of Laguna Beach and Orange County should sign up for AlertOC to keep informed about required actions or critical updates from your area. Visit www.alertoc.com and make sure you are tied in.

If you live in a burn scar area and are told to evacuate, don't hesitate to do so.

Related Storm Stories:

Laguna Beach Storm Preparedness: Find Sandbags For Your Home

Trapped Silverado Residents Rescued By Orange County Firefighters

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