Southern California continues to face a dangerous threat of flooding through Friday, as heavy rain affects the Los Angeles and San Diego areas, before moving eastward.
More than 20 million people from Southern California to central Arizona remain under a flood watch as rainfall totals exceeded 10 inches in several mountain areas, while bringing a month’s worth of rain in one hour in the Ventura County.
The overall rainfall amounts, combined with the potential for heavier rain bursts from thunderstorms, especially in areas scarred by recent wildfires, led NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center (WPC) to place a swath of southern California in a Level 3 of 4 risk zone for flash flooding.
For many communities, the precipitation is the most intense rain event since the remnants of Hurricane Hilary impacted the region in August.
Some of the hardest hit areas were Oxnard and Santa Barbara, where water rescues were needed.
A good Samaritan driver pulled two people from a vehicle before it was swept away, and the American Red Cross opened at least one shelter.
Oxnard and Port Hueneme residents wake up to flooded homes
Major flash flooding occurred in the Oxnard area, the largest city in Ventura County, after 3.18 inches of rain fell in one hour, of which 2.25 inches fell in just 30 minutes.
The city averages about 2.5 inches of rain throughout the month. The total storm total was approaching 6 inches in the city’s civic center Thursday night.
Photos shared on social networks. Oxnard showed more than 2 feet of water on roads.
Rainfall occurred over Oxnard, Port Hueneme and Ventura on Thursday. X/@NWSLosAngeles
Larry Emerson, a resident of Port Hueneme in Ventura County, says he woke up to a frustrating sight Thursday morning when he discovered about a foot of water had seeped into his garage.
“Everything is wet and about a foot high,” he said. “The flood must have gone through the entire garage. They destroyed my boxes… (Flood waters) knocked over a commercial vacuum cleaner and water got inside. “It was very forceful.”
About 60 houses were flooded and even a senior living center had to be evacuated. Rescuers had to use high-wheeled vehicles to evacuate about 20 people.
Winter solstice rains are diverted from residences near Coast Village Road in Montecito by sandbags as water saturates Santa Barbara County Thursday. ZUMAPRESS.com
During the peak of the flood, Ventura County firefighters reported receiving approximately 275 calls in a five-hour span, according to public information officer Andy VanSciver. This is significantly higher than their usual call volume of less than 200 calls per day.
“This storm was a little unique to the Port Hueneme, Oxnard area. “This is a coastal community, so it’s pretty flat here by the ocean to begin with,” VanSciver said.
“And so the flood control channels were overwhelmed. In my response, while gathering information on both the police radio and FM radio, I heard the National Weather Service report that they had received a tremendous amount of rain.
Submerged cars on a flooded street during a storm, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023, in Santa Barbara, California. AP
“Sometimes they said maybe more than we’ve received in the last 30 or 40 years in such a short period of time.”
Up to 8 inches of rain expected
By the end of the week, 5 to 8 inches of rain is forecast to fall in several areas, with some locations experiencing even higher amounts, maintaining a continued risk of urban and flash flooding.
Rain forecast on the west coast until Friday. Weather in Fox
Some mountain areas in Southern California reported rainfall totals of more than 10 inches for the week through Thursday night.
Rocky Butte in San Luis Obispo County reported 15.95 inches, while Ventura County’s Old Man Mountain had 13.70 inches, according to the National Weather Service.
Closer to the metropolitan area, Beverly Hills had 2.66 inches of rain, while Los Angeles’ LAX Airport reported 2.15 inches.
Severe weather shakes residents as tornado warnings are issued in Ventura County
For some, the storms not only brought heavy rain and flooding, but also a threat of severe weather.
Here’s a look at the latest storm reports in Southern California. Weather in Fox
Early Thursday morning, two tornado warnings were issued for the Oxnard area after Doppler radar indicated possible rotation within the path of thunderstorms.
The Tornado Warnings were the first issued by the National Weather Service’s Los Angeles office during the month of December since 2008.
“At one point, we had over 350,000 people under a tornado warning and also a flash flood warning,” said FOX weather meteorologist Britta Merwin.
Snow covers Sierra Nevada
The same system is also dumping heavy snow over the higher elevations of California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains, with lesser amounts of snow over the higher elevations of the Washington and Oregon Cascades and parts of Idaho and Nevada.
Rainfall is forecast to move slowly eastward through Friday, drying out Southern California from west to east and moving heavy rain and the threat of flooding to parts of Arizona.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn