Evacuation Warning In Place As Downpour Poses Burn Scar Flood Risk

LOS ANGELES, CA — A fast-moving storm slammed Los Angeles County with periods of intense rainfall, flooding freeways, causing pileups and posing flood and mudslide risks in the Topanga Canyon area.

The Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management issued an evacuation warning for residents in the Topanga Canyon area along Santa Maria Road north of Topanga Canyon Boulevard. The warning took effect at 9 p.m. Sunday and will remain in force until 6 a.m. Tuesday.

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The warning urged residents to prepare for possible evacuations.

"Gather loved ones, pets and supplies," the warning stated. "Monitor local weather, news and alertla.org for more information."

By mid-morning Monday, NWS forecasters said the "primary rain band" had already passed through the area, but "we're not quite done with the rain."

"There are at least a couple more impulses to come through the area through this evening and the air mass will remain moist and slightly unstable so showers can develop just about anywhere at anytime with still a slight chance of a thunderstorm," according to the NWS. "Rain rates will likely top out around a third of an inch per hour, though there is a 10-20% chance of an isolated storm generating rates around a half inch per hour."

Heavy downpours continued into the evening hours.

"Still expecting scattered showers in all areas through this evening with an isolated thunderstorm possible," according to the NWS. "Individual cells are moving quite rapidly so while heavy rain is still possible it shouldn t linger over any one area for very long. Showers will be tapering off overnight, except lingering over the northern mountains in the Grapevine area well into Tuesday as winds veer more to the northwest. Those winds will be gusty at times up to 45 mph."

The weather service identified a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10 p.m. Monday with new precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

The rain is expected to largely exit the region by Tuesday, when temperatures are also expected to begin warming. Additional warming is expected by next weekend.

City News Service. Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.