New storms are set to hit Southern California this holiday weekend, further drenching the region and bringing the risk of coastal flooding, especially during times of high tide.
The rains are expected to hit Saturday morning and continue through Monday night or Tuesday morning.
On Saturday, the National Weather Service for L.A., Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties said to expect “minor roadway ponding” and “moderate to brief heavy rain, leading to minor urban and small creek flooding.” Rockslides are possible in canyons and steep hillsides, but meteorologists expect a minimal threat of flooding from mainstem rivers.
For Sunday and Monday, another storm will arrive with showers, and isolated thunderstorms Monday into Tuesday morning. There could be a dusting of snow on the Grapevine mountain pass of the 5 Freeway on Monday night into Tuesday.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Friday declared a local state of emergency after storms pounded the city earlier this week, causing mudslides, flooding and road closures.
The city is expecting another storm to move in by Saturday, not only raising the possibility of more damage from the rain but also hindering officials’ ability to address the damage already caused.
Bass’ emergency declaration directs city departments to continue assessing estimates on storm damage and to seek state and federal assistance. It also asks the governor’s office to waive regulations that would slow recovery efforts.
President Biden approved an emergency declaration for California. Nancy Ward, director of the California Office of Emergency Services, said that officials had positioned resources and crews across the state for continued storm response and recovery, including the California National Guard in Santa Barbara.
Speaking at a news conference in Montecito, Gov. Gavin Newsom said the storms highlighted the need for infrastructure improvements, including upgrading flood protection and stormwater-capture systems.
Doing so is critical, he said, in a time of climate change when “the hots are getting a lot hotter, dries are getting drier, and the wets are getting a lot wetter.”
“The question is, are we resilient enough … are we resourceful enough to be more creative, so that we can thrive, not just survive, through this new reality?”
Storms also continued to threaten Northern California, with concerns about more flooding along the Monterey Bay.
“These storms continue to be dangerous and dynamic, and pose a threat to communities throughout the state of California,” Ward said Friday. “We are not out of the woods yet. The threat to communities remains, and waters will continue to rise even after these storms have passed.”
David Lawrence, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said that most of California was beyond saturated, making it susceptible to flooding, mudslides and landslides, coastal erosion and downed trees. Heavy rains, strong winds and more snow in the mountains are expected yet again Saturday in Northern California, he said.