Flood, Evacuation Warning For Orange County Burn Area Tuesday

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — Orange County canyon residents, be aware: public safety officials issued a voluntary evacuation warning starting at 4 a.m. Tuesday for Silverado Canyon, Williams Canyon and Modjeska in the Bond Fire burn area due to potential mudslides and flash floods.

Residents are strongly encouraged to prepare for a possible evacuation early Tuesday morning, especially those with disabilities, access and/or functional needs, and canyon residents with large animals.

Any resident requiring evacuation assistance should call Orange County Sheriff’s Department Dispatch at 714-647-7000.

In addition, soft road closures will be in place at canyon entrances starting at 4 a.m. Tuesday, with routes open to local residents only.

"Residents living in the evacuation areas are encouraged to leave early and plan for alternate shelter with friends, family or at a local hotel outside of the evacuation area," a County of Orange news release said. "Depending on conditions, the Evacuation Warning (Voluntary) may transition to Evacuation Order (Mandatory) with little or no notice, so residents leaving the area are encouraged to plan accordingly."

A map with detailed depictions of the areas under Evacuation Warning (voluntary) can be found at www.ocsheriff.gov/bondfire.

The evacuation warning comes as stormy, wintery weather hits Orange County and sticks around until Wednesday, the National Weather Service reported.

In inland Orange County cities such as Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita and Lake Forest, residents can expect rainy conditions through Tuesday with highs in the '60s and wind gusts up to 45 miles per hour.

The rain will likely continue into Wednesday, as the National Weather Service predicts dense cloud coverage and a 50 percent chance of rain showers.