2 Storms To Slam SoCal, Threatening More Mudslides And Flooding

LOS ANGELES, CA — The short-lived dry spell in Southern California will soon come to an end as back-to-back storms move into the region, bringing more heavy rain with heightened risks for flooding and mudslides, according to the National Weather Service.

The first, weaker storm, will move in as early as Saturday. Coming from the north, it will move down the state and linger through Tuesday in Southern California, according to forecasters. Given the record-breaking storms earlier this month, authorities will be on alert for the risk of new mudslides.

The heaviest rainfall during the first storm is predicted to hit the Southland on Sunday or Monday, NWS spokesperson Mike Wofford told Patch. Los Angeles could see anywhere from 2 to 5 inches of rain while the Orange and San Diego counties are expected to get about 1-3 inches. Riverside County should see about 2 inches of rain, National Weather Service meteorologist Elizabeth Adams told Patch.

A much stronger storm coming from the eastern Pacific will follow on the heels of the first, slamming the Southland mid-to-late next week, Adams said. The second storm is packing much more moisture, Adams said, moving into atmospheric river territory.

“Considering how much rain has fallen since the beginning of the month over the area, it should not take as much rain as it did to cause significant hydrologic issues, especially in the hills and mountains where mudslides and rockslides are likely,” the weather service warned.

So far this storm season, the region has seen a dramatic amount of rain. Los Angeles has logged about 15 inches in the downtown area and a whopping 25 inches in the Santa Monica mountains, according to Los Angeles County Public Works.

In Orange County, the coast has seen just over 14 inches in Seal Beach and over 15 inches of rain in Fullerton, according to Orange County Public Works. Riverside County has seen up to 12 inches of rain during the storms in Beaumont and Temecula, according to the County Flood Control and Water Conservation District.

Portions of San Diego County have seen between 10 and 17 inches of rain so far this season, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.

The ground is still saturated with water from the most recent set of atmospheric rivers, forecasters said. Though there has been a brief break from rain this week, any amount of additional rain has the potential to cause dramatic flooding conditions and mudslides, Wofford warned.

"There will still be some saturated areas. Most likely in the mountains and hills where mudslides and rockslides tend to occur, so I'm sure those will happen with less rain than was required last time," Wofford said.

Forecasters cautioned residents, especially those living in flood-prone and low-lying areas, to prepare accordingly.

Snowfall will likely not fall below 6,500 feet during these storms, forecasters said, mainly impacting residents in the mountains. Adams said snow is expected to impact the mountains in Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.