As most of the state was drying out after an earlier rainfall, forecasters warned on Friday that a second, stronger atmospheric river storm was coming for Southern California this weekend, threatening to unleash life-threatening floods and landslides.
A 300-mile (480-kilometer) stretch of coast will be soaked by the most heavy rains on Sunday and Monday as the Atmospheric River storm moves south from San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara to Los Angeles and San Diego counties. Gradually strengthening rain was predicted to start dousing California on Saturday.
Warning issued by National Weather Service (NWS)
NWS
A flash flood warning was issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) for the whole area in anticipation of an incredible 36 hours of precipitation and severe gusty winds. Through Monday, most of the region’s coastal and valley areas were projected to have an average of 3-6 inches (7-15 cm) of rain, with 6-12 inches predicted in the foothills and lower-elevation mountains.
Forecasters noted that because of the rain that soaked the area on Thursday, the soil is already saturated and the streams are flowing high, increasing the likelihood of flooding from the upcoming assault.
In a prediction discussion that was released online, the weather service stated that “people need to start preparing now for a major flooding event.”
The Atmospheric River Storm was likely to hit hardest in the mountainous areas of Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, where the NWS warned there was a fair likelihood of rainfall totals as high as 15 inches (38 cm).
The communities situated on the southern slopes of mountains and foothills are anticipated to experience the most intense precipitation, making them particularly susceptible to the possibility of flash floods, mudslides, and landslides. Washouts are more common in areas like hillsides and canyons that have recently seen wildfires.
Widespread Dangers of Atmospheric River Storm
The meteorological agency said in an alert on Friday that there were several flood risks due to the approaching storm. It wrote in capital letters that “all areas, including highly populated urban areas, will be at risk for life-threatening flooding.”
The Grammy Awards presentation in the music business is scheduled for Sunday in Los Angeles, and the storm’s peak is predicted to coincide with it. This has led the organizers to erect big tents for the stars’ pre-ceremony red carpet procession.
In other areas, workers were hard at work unclogging culverts and storm drains and filling and stacking sandbags. A relatively small portion of California’s Central Coast, including Big Sur and stretching northward into the San Francisco Bay region, was also under flash-flood watch.
The Atmospheric River Storm’s frozen precipitation will also assist restore the area’s snowpack, which has been falling short of average despite last year’s historic winter storms.
A large chunk of the area was still cleaning up on Friday after torrential rains swept over the state’s northern and southern regions on Wednesday and Thursday, causing mudflows, rock collapses, and sporadic street flooding.
Large-scale, densely wet air currents known as atmospheric rivers were the source of both Atmospheric River Storms They also meet the description of a “Pineapple Express” storm system, which draws on the very warm, subtropical waters surrounding the Hawaiian islands.
Last winter, California was hit by almost a dozen atmospheric river storms in quick succession, forcing widespread evacuations.
