XPost: alt.wildland.firefighting, alt.los-angeles, alt.politics.democrats XPost: sac.politics, talk.politics.guns

LOS ANGELES — A winter downpour in Los Angeles on Thursday sent mud
sliding over Mulholland Drive and prompted orders to evacuate near areas
burned by devastating wildfires last month, officials said.

Around 8 inches of mud slid over the famous roadway in the Hollywood
Hills, closing it, but homes above the slide were determined to be stable,
the Los Angeles Fire Department said.

The heavy rain Thursday afternoon also prompted an emergency flash flood warning for the burn scar of the Palisades Fire, which destroyed thousands
of homes and burned more the 20,000 acres in the hills near the Pacific
Ocean in January.

All flood warnings were canceled by 8 p.m. local time as Thursday's heavy
rains moved out of the area, the National Weather Service said. "However, please keep in mind that mud and rock slides can still happen well after
the rain has ended," the agency said on X.

Evacuation orders were issued for the Pacific Palisades area, as well as
in and near the burn scar from the Eaton Fire and other fires, until
Friday afternoon, the fire department said. City officials posted an
evacuation map online.

An NBC News crew captured video of an SUV tossed and pushed into the ocean
by a torrent of mud and water streaming off the coast in Malibu. The
driver, a member of the fire department, escaped with minor injuries after
the large debris flow along Big Rock Road swept the vehicle into the ocean around 5 p.m., a fire spokesperson said.

In Orange County, south of Los Angeles, a mandatory evacuation was issued
for Trabuco Canyon, Bell Canyon and Hot Springs Canyon because of mudslide fears, officials said. In other areas, people were warned to be ready to
leave if ordered.

Ventura County announced an evacuation warning for those living near the
burn scar areas of the Mountain Fire. It will last until Friday morning.

As of Thursday afternoon, 32 million people were under flood watches as
heavy rain soaked the state.

Rainfall through Friday is expected to range from 1 to 3 inches along the
coast and in the valleys, with up to 6 to 10 inches in higher terrain.

A statewide response has placed almost 120 miles of barriers around
Southern California to prevent flooding and stop rain runoff and debris
from burn scars from entering rivers and lakes. The operation involves
319,000 sandbags, more than 240 fire engines and 400 personnel across
eight counties.

Public workers have been busy clearing drains and handing out sandbags to residents.

Joanne Hubble, a resident who does emergency planning coordination for
Trabuco and other eastern Orange County canyon communities, told NBC Los Angeles officials hope the sandbags hold.

“We hope that they do. All you can do is to stay prepared and try and stay ahead of the game,” Hubble said. She said it’s important for residents to
sign up for emergency alerts.

https://www.nbcnews.com/weather/winter-weather/los-angeles-weather-flash- flood-warning-rcna191987

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