Deadly atmospheric river slams California, prompting mudslide and flooding concerns: 'Do not let your guard down'
The lingering storm system that slammed California for several days brought record-setting rainfall and caused hundreds of mudslides by Tuesday as the storm moved inland.
A large swath of Southern California remained under flood alerts through Tuesday as the storm was expected to drop up to 3 inches of rain in Los Angeles and San Diego from Tuesday to Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. The additional rainfall raised concerns of flooding and mudslides because the ground is heavily saturated in many areas.
Some heavy rain is also expected late Tuesday before the region begins to dry out, according to Tyler Kranz, a meteorologist with the weather service.
Since Sunday, downtown Los Angeles has been inundated with six months' worth of rainfall, the weather service said. In just two days, the area received more than 7 inches of rain — making this month the 13th wettest February on record.
“Our hillsides are already saturated. So even not-very-heavy rains could still lead to additional mudslides,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said during an evening news conference. “Even when the rain stops, the ground may continue to shift.”
The San Diego region will remain under flood watch through the evening as "excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations," the weather service said. Southern parts of San Diego County received a rare tornado warning Tuesday, which expired in the afternoon.
Videos showed commuters navigating flooded streets and roadways blocked by downed trees and power lines. Cars were seen trapped by mudslides.
The intensity of the rain is expected to slightly dwindle from what occurred over the weekend as the storm system headed east into the desert, forecasters said. The potential for flash flooding began expanding into Nevada, Arizona and Utah on Tuesday and will continue into Wednesday.
A half an inch to an inch of widespread rain was predicted for the southwest part of Arizona, with higher levels locally, and up to 1.5 inches across south-central Arizona, with locally higher levels coming in through thunderstorms, officials said. Flood watches were in effect in southwest Arizona and portions of south-central areas of the state.
Developments:
∎ The NWS issued a rare tornado warning for three cities northeast of central San Diego until 12:45 p.m. local time on Tuesday. The warning applies to the cities of El Cajon, La Mesa, and Santee.
∎ A flood watch across Ventura and parts of Santa Barbara counties is in effect until 5 p.m. as the storm threatens to drop up to 1 inch of rain per hour in some areas. The heavy rainfall carries a "risk for dangerous flooding, especially over freeways and local roads."
∎ About 143,000 people across California were without power Tuesday morning, according to a database maintained by USA TODAY.
∎ A debris flow caused significant damage to about five homes in Beverly Hills on Monday, the Los Angeles Fire Department said. Although no one was trapped, about 10 people have been displaced, the department said.
Fire chief to LA residents: 'Do not let your guard down'
Kristin Crowley, chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department, said at a news conference on Tuesday that the impacts of the atmospheric river storm have not entirely subsided and "will continue to cause hazardous road conditions and increase the chance of mudslides and flooding."
Crowley asked residents to monitor their phones for warnings, especially those who live on hillsides. She urged people to stay away from the Los Angeles River after a person was rescued from the rushing waterway by firefighters Monday night.
"As the storm continues to impact our city, do not let your guard down," she said.
By Tuesday morning, emergency crews had responded to at least 475 mudslides and 390 fallen trees across Los Angeles, according to the mayor’s office. The mudslides caused road closures and ongoing evacuation orders in canyon neighborhoods with "increased risk of significant flooding, mudslides, and sediment flow because of the burn scars" from recent wildfires.
Seven buildings were also deemed uninhabitable, the mayor's office said. And at least 10 were yellow-tagged, meaning residents could return to get their belongings but could not stay there because of the damage.
Storm kills at least 7 people
Officials have attributed at least seven deaths as a result of the storm, including several people crushed by fallen trees in Northern California. A 63-year-old woman was found dead Tuesday under a large tree in her backyard in Fair Oaks, Sacramento County officials said.
The California Highway Patrol said a 69-year-old man died Monday after his truck went down an embankment and filled with water in Yucaipa, about 80 miles east of Los Angeles. Another accident in nearby Fontana killed a 23-year-old man after the car he was in crashed into a tow truck in the rain, the agency said.
Someone trying to enter the United States was swept up by a swollen Tijuana River channel and died early Tuesday at the California-Mexico border, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The storm pounded Los Angeles with rain and heavy winds, damaging multi-million dollar homes across the city and sending workers at homeless shelters scrambling for more beds. Sixteen people were evacuated and several homes near the Hollywood Hills were red-tagged.
The Los Angeles Fire Department said 1,000 firefighters had dealt with more than 100 reports of flooding and rescues of motorists stranded in vehicles on inundated roadways. Shelters added beds for the city’s homeless population of nearly 75,000 people.
AccuWeather estimated that the state's preliminary total damage and economic loss will be between $9 billion and $11 billion.
The 11.87 inches that fell in a 24-hour span on Monday was a 1-in-1,000 year rainfall event, according to the weather station at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Storm to bring heavy rain to Las Vegas, Phoenix
Areas of Arizona and Nevada were under flood warnings on Tuesday as the slow-moving storm moved East from California.
According to AccuWeather, the storm posed a risk of flash floods, including across major cities such as Las Vegas and Phoenix. Forecasters anticipate the heaviest rain to hit Las Vegas Tuesday afternoon, while Phoenix residents will feel the most intense impacts overnight and into Wednesday.
"While even a quick downpour can lead to street and highway flooding in the region, the heaviest rain, from 1-2 inches, is most likely to occur on the south- and southwest-facing mountainsides in Arizona," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Adam Douty said.
Northern Arizona was forecast to receive significant snowfall, reported the Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network. Flagstaff and Williams were forecast to receive 9 to 13 inches of snow and Forest Lakes, near Show Low, could get between 13 and 19 inches.
Storm breaks multiple rainfall records from LA to Oceanside
On Monday, the atmospheric river storm broke several rainfall records across Southern California, according to the weather service.
Downtown Los Angeles received 2.93 inches of rain on Monday, surpassing the previous record of 2.30 inches, set 123 years ago in 1901, the weather service said. Further south, in Oceanside, a city 40 miles north of San Diego, Monday's rainfall total was more than an inch over the previous record set in 1948.
New rainfall records were also set in Anaheim, Vista and San Jacinto, the weather service said.
Contributing: Arizona Republic, Associated Press, John Bacon, Thao Nguyen, Doyle Rice, Kayla Jimenez