California Hit With Powerful Storms Just as Holiday Travel Ramps Up
(Bloomberg) -- Powerful winter storms are bearing down on Southern California, threatening to disrupt travel with heavy rain, dangerous winds and a high risk of flooding and landslides during the Christmas holiday.
As much as six inches (15 centimeters) of rain will dump on the region starting Tuesday evening and over the next three days, according to the National Weather Service. Some Los Angeles residents have already been ordered to evacuate areas that are vulnerable to mudslides.
The system is a “five- to 10-year storm,” said Ariel Cohen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Los Angeles, at a press briefing Tuesday. The storm’s heaviest impacts are set to hit over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with rounds of moderate to heavy rain continuing off and on through Friday, Cohen said.
The storm has been given a rare “high risk” designation reflecting high confidence that an exceptionally dangerous flood event is anticipated, he added.
Flooding is likely in urban and poor-drainage areas, with rock and mudslides expected along roads and freeways. Officials also warned of possible road closures and airport delays and flight cancellations.
“If you plan to be on the roads, please reconsider your plans,” Cohen said, urging residents to stay indoors if possible.
High wind warnings stretch across almost the entire state. Gusts are expected to reach 70 miles per hour (112 kilometers per hour), and there’s a chance of falling trees knocking out power lines. As much as eight feet of snow will pile up in the northern Sierra Nevada mountains by Friday.
It all paints a grim picture for holiday travel, said Peter Mullinax, a meteorologist with the US Weather Prediction Center.
“This is about as bad as it can be,” said Mullinax. “It’s going to be a very rough Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in California.”
The excessive rain is also driving up the risk of flooding beyond Southern California to as far away as Las Vegas. As many as 41 million people in the area are currently facing flood watches, said Mullinax.
Los Angeles County has ordered some people to evacuate from areas near recent fires, including the Palisades, where the ground may be at risk of mudslides. Emergency officials said officers are going door-to-door in some areas asking people to leave, yet many residents aren’t heeding the advice.
“It’s not exactly a day when you want to contend with life-threatening rock and mudslides,” Mullinax said.
(Updates with details throughout.)
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