An atmospheric river hits Southern California. The next storm looks worse

Heavy rain caused by a major atmospheric river storm swept through Southern California on Thursday, causing significant flooding and road closures, as well as several water rescues.

However, even before the storm system had moved forward, officials were turning their attention to another approaching not far away that was expected to bring even more intense and sustained precipitation.

“There has been some flooding due to today’s storm in parts of Southern California, especially in or near Long Beach, but the (next) system has *much greater* potential for more widespread and severe flooding and debris flows “said Daniel Swain, a professor at UCLA. The climate scientist and meteorologist wrote in a post on potential to cause life-threatening flooding.

Forecasters say the coming system could move more slowly, allowing it to dump greater amounts of rain in certain areas, than Thursday’s storm, which moved at a relatively fast pace, making its effects less dramatic.

Still, the initial moisture-laden system forged a trail of wet, windy weather from the Oregon border to Tijuana, and pummeled Northern California on Wednesday with significant rain and snow, including some historic amounts of rain, leading to minor flooding. on roads, downed trees and some power outages.

That storm began to hit the South on Thursday morning, with heavy downpours causing widespread flooding in Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties, particularly in Long Beach and the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

Some rainfall records for the date were broken Thursday in the southwestern part of the state, according to preliminary totals from the National Weather Service. Among the heavily soaked areas were Los Angeles International Airport, where 2.37 inches fell; Long Beach Airport, which received 2.43 inches; Santa Barbara Airport, 2.93 inches; Sandberg, 1.8 inches; and Lancaster, 0.52 inches.

Flooded roads clogged the morning commute, closing southbound lanes of the 710 Freeway at Pacific Coast Highway in Long Beach and a portion of PCH at the McClure Tunnel in Santa Monica. In Huntington Beach, a three-mile stretch of PCH was also closed due to flooding.

Nearly seven miles of Palos Verdes Drive South from Hawthorne Boulevard to Palos Verdes Drive East closed for a few hours due to flooding and a mudslide that left debris and mud along the road, and officials urged residents to ” shelter in place until the heavy rain passes.” .”

Knott’s Berry Farm closed due to inclement weather, as did SeaWorld San Diego and several local parks.

In the Hollywood Hills, a tree fell on Cahuenga Boulevard near Highway 101, striking a moving vehicle, but LAPD spokesman Officer Charles Miller said no injuries were reported. In Costa Mesa, Orange County firefighters rescued a man who was trapped in fast water in a storm trough.

In Long Beach, many city streets were flooded with inches, if not feet, of water, submerging vehicles and requiring rescues. Along a stretch of road in the western industrial part of the city, where many homeless people live in cars, RVs, trucks and vans, water reached the base of the doors of many parked vehicles.

A map showing how much precipitation is expected in California through February 8.

(Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times)

Nearby, Bill Deaver stood next to a shopping cart with bags full of recyclables. He said the area is known for flooding, but it was the first time in the two years he lived there that he saw water go over his ankles.

“It’s really bad,” Deaver, 49, said.

Not far away, Franklin Chapter looked at his sunken silver 2003 BMW, one of three vehicles submerged under a railroad bridge near the Highway 103 on-ramp.

Chapter, 54, said he left work in Torrance around 7 a.m. and was heading home when he started driving under the bridge. The rain made it difficult to see him, but he noticed other vehicles around him, so he thought it would be safe to continue.

“I started to feel my shoes getting wet and then my pants,” he said. “That’s when I realized I might need help.”

The water prevented him from opening the door, he said, so he waited about 20 minutes until firefighters removed him from his car. At least two other drivers were also rescued from their vehicles.

When asked how far he was from his destination, he said for the first time: “Two blocks away, I was almost home.”

The storm moved south toward the San Diego area late in the morning, but officials said it caused only minor disruptions, paling in comparison to last week’s historic rains that caused devastating flash flooding in downtown the city. Before this storm arrived, San Diego officials had issued an evacuation warning for communities in the Chollas Creek watershed, including neighborhoods affected by recent flash flooding, and although the city reported that several roads were flooded or closed , the day was overwhelmingly calm.

“The rains were much less intense than expected, but Monday threatens to bring much more, so we remain on high alert,” said Rachel Liang, a spokeswoman for the San Diego mayor’s office.

Mayor Todd Gloria said the evacuation warning could be lifted Friday morning, but called for continued vigilance: “We’re not out of the woods yet.

“We don’t know what Mother Nature has in store for us,” he said during a briefing Thursday night, “so we’re going to continue to be proactive and prepared.”

However, the effects of this storm will likely persist through Saturday, with a flood watch issued through Friday morning for the coasts, valleys and deserts of Orange and San Diego counties and Riverside and San Bernardino counties. .

A winter storm warning also remains in effect for the mountains of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties through Friday morning, with higher elevations expected to receive up to 24 inches of snow. A few inches of dust is possible at elevations up to 4,500 feet as temperatures cool, and snow is possible at lower elevations early Friday.

Forecasters warn that “travel may be difficult or impossible” in the mountains, even along the Highway 5 corridor; Transportation officials said tire chains would be required for drivers in mountain communities.

High surf is expected to cause waves of up to 12 feet along beaches in Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties through Saturday, and rip currents will make any ocean activity dangerous, warned the meteorological service.

There won’t be much rest until the next system comes in.

The latest forecasts show the next atmospheric river storm will reach the Los Angeles area on Saturday night, with the worst of the rain, snow and wind expected on Sunday and Monday, said Ryan Kittell, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

“There is still an increasing potential for many hours of moderate to heavy rainfall and an increasing risk of damaging and life-threatening flooding,” he said.

Rainfall Thursday amounted to between 1 and 3 inches across the region, although some areas received up to 5 inches, Kittell said. But the next system could bring nearly double that, with 3 to 6 inches of widespread rain expected, and up to 12 inches in the mountains.

Ahead of Wednesday’s rains, the state activated its Emergency Operations Center, prepositioned personnel, emergency responders and water rescue equipment, cleared roads and restored power, preparing for an extended wet and active weather pattern. Last winter, many regions, primarily in Northern California, were caught off guard by a series of atmospheric rivers that flooded many regions, overwhelming levees and leaving more than 20 dead.

Kittell said that after the second storm, a third will likely follow. Although it is not expected to be particularly strong, it could present greater challenges, she said.

“Based on what we expect for the next storm, any additional rain could cause problems,” Kittell said. “The potential for a very significant storm is growing.”

Times staff writer Luke Money contributed to this report.