Back-To-Back Storms Expected To Dump Rain On Palisades Fire Burn Scar

PACIFIC PALISADES, CA — Despite what forecasters expect to be a "very small" risk of mudslides in areas impacted by the Palisades Fire, officials are deploying extra infrastructure to prepare for a series of storms expected to bring rain to the region this week.

An atmospheric river system that dumped rain in Northern California on Monday is expected to arrive in SoCal as early as Tuesday evening. It's expected to weaken significantly by the time it reaches Los Angeles County. As much as 1.5 inches of rain could fall in certain mountainous areas, including in the area of the Palisades Fire, according to the National Weather Service.

"The risk for burn scar debris flows is very small. Flooding impacts should be minor and confined to localized roads and clogged storm drains," the NWS wrote.

A second storm later in the week is expected to bring a greater impact to LA County, forecasters said. It will drop more rain from Thursday afternoon into Friday morning, with as much as 2 inches falling in the rainiest mountain areas, the NWS said.

• Read more: 2 Atmospheric Rivers To Hit SoCal: How Much Rain To Expect

Throughout the rainy week, forecasters are expecting some amount of mudslides and road erosion, particularly in "sensitive" canyon roads. But there is only a 5% chance that the rain could trigger significant mudslides or debris flows, the National Weather Service told the Los Angeles Times.

But county officials have been prepping for the rain regardless.

"Los Angeles County has been working around the clock to prepare for this storm, clearing debris basins, reinforcing infrastructure, and making sure our residents have the resources they need to stay safe," said Supervisor Lindsey Horvath. "I urge all residents to take this time to prepare — secure your property, use sandbags where needed, and stay informed as the storm approaches."

Residents were urged to clear drainage paths around their properties, install sandbags to direct runoff away from homes, avoid travel in burn areas and mountain roads during heavy rainfall and sign up for emergency alerts online.

Free sandbags and flood risk assessments are available to residents at location including the La Costa Post Office, 21229 Pacific Coast Highway.

Here's what crews have been doing, according to county officials:

• Clearing storm drains, catch basins, and debris basins in vulnerable burn areas. They removed over 400 cubic yards of mud and debris in Sunset Mesa alone.
• Installed 679 feet of k-rail and over 1,500 sandbags in key locations within the Palisades and Eaton burn areas to slow runoff and prevent debris flows
• Working with beach and public health officials, as well as state and federal agencies to prevent fire debris from polluting local beaches and coastal waters

Additionally, while Pacific Coast Highway reopened Monday morning, it's set to close again to most traffic on Tuesday in anticipation of the storm.

City News Service contributed to this report.