Flood Watch Issued For Elsinore Area, IE Storm Evacuation Updates

INLAND EMPIRE, CA — As a strong winter storm bears down on Southern California, communities near burn areas are being warned to evacuate.

In Riverside County, concerns about flooding prompted officials to issue an evacuation warning for select areas near the 2020 Apple Fire burn area north of Beaumont and Banning. The warnings affect the Marshall C, Mias A, Portrero A and Noble A zones. Detailed information about the evacuation areas is available here.

As of Tuesday morning, none of the areas were under mandatory evacuation.

However, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department issued an evacuation order for the communities of Oak Glen; Forest Falls; Mountain Home Village; Northeast Yucaipa, east of Bryant Street and north of Date Avenue; Highway 38, from Bryant Street to Angelus Oaks. The evacuations were prompted by the "high potential for mud and debris flow" due to "heavy sustained rain" over the El Dorado burn scar. Get more info here.

The San Gorgonio Pass Area, all of the Riverside metro area, and Southwest Riverside County are under a flood watch Tuesday through 9 p.m.

At 1 p.m., the NWS issued a flood advisory across Riverside and San Bernardino counties that extends to 4 p.m. Minor flooding has been ongoing Tuesday.

A wind advisory also remains in effect through midnight. Wind and dust advisories are in effect across the Coachella Valley through midnight.

"Parts of the mountains and deserts will get gusts 50-60 mph. As the front moves through the region this afternoon, there is a small chance of embedded thunderstorms," the National Weather Service warned Tuesday morning.

Tuesday's updated NWS forecast showed widespread rain for much of the day.

"Rain will be heavy at times, especially along the coastal slopes of the mountains. With and behind the front this afternoon, there could be isolated thunderstorms," the NWS said.

Rainfall rates over lower elevations could reach 0.50-0.60 inch per hour, according to the agency. Rainfall rates of 0.75 inch per hour can be expected on the coastal slopes of the San Bernardino Mountains.

Current rainfall estimates are 1-1.5 inch amounts west of the mountains; 2-3 inches on the peninsular ranges, which can include higher elevation communities in Southwest Riverside County; 2-6+ inches in the San Bernardino Mountains, 0.05-0.50 inches in the low deserts, and 0.33 to 1.5 inches in the high desert, the NWS said.

"Highest rainfall totals in the San Bernardino Mountains will be on the south-facing slopes, resulting in considerable runoff. Where rainfall exceeds 1 inch in the high desert, expect nuisance flooding where water is unable to drain properly on roadways," the agency said Tuesday.

Sandbags are being made available to citizens across Riverside County through cities and fire stations.

Public safety agencies are advising motorists to turn around if they see flooding on roadways.

Total snow accumulations are projected at 4 to 12 inches between 5,000 and 7,000
feet. Above 7,000 feet there will be locally higher amounts. Above 8,000 feet, several feet of snow are possible, according to the NWS.