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Rain has finally returned to wildfire-scorched Los Angeles — but now officials are warning flooding and landslides could wreak more chaos on the battered city along its “burn scars.”
The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for the area from 4 p.m. Sunday to 4 p.m. Monday, with the danger focused on regions where the Palisades, Eaton and other fires previously raged.
“There is an increased risk of heavier rain rates and/or thunderstorms for many areas south of Point Conception, particularly Sun afternoon through Mon afternoon,” the National Weather Service Los Angeles said.
“High rain over a burn scar may result in debris flows or mudslides. Follow the instructions of local officials!” the agency added.
The “burn scars,” or scorched swaths of land, are largely concentrated in hilly areas and have been left with much of the vegetation that ordinarily roots the topsoil in place burned away.
That soil is now also brittle and filled with ashes — and in some cases saturated with water from firefighting efforts — so a sudden onslaught of rain would leave it ripe for flooding and destructive landslides.
Up to 3 inches of rain are forecast to fall in those areas, bringing the first significant storm the area has seen since October.
While the rain is a welcome relief for firefighters after a chaotic week where renewed winds kicked up several new blazes — including the Hughes Fire, which is more than 90% contained but burned over 10,000 acres — it also could spell new dangers for the swaths of LA already in shambles.
Some landslides have already loosed destruction, including one that destroyed a $2 million home last week after water runoff from firefighting efforts destabilized the ground and sent it tumbling.
That slide left the home split in half — a preview of what could be in store for buildings that managed to survive the flames.
LA began bolstering the area ahead of the incoming storms last week, with Mayor Karen Bass issuing orders to being clearing debris from burn scars that could turn into dangerous projectiles during a flood or landslide. Authorities also worked to shore up vulnerable areas with sandbags.
Following a week of renewed Santa Ana winds, the Palisades Fire is 87% contained after burning more than 23,000 acres, while the Eaton Fire is nearly contained at 95% and more than 14,000 acres burned.