As residents throughout the Los Angeles area deal with the unfathomable disaster that remains after the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires, a new threat is looming over the weekend.
Officials are warning that mudslides could hit the areas affected by the fires as a rainy weekend is expected. According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the fire zones in Altadena and Malibu are most at risk.
“Due to the recent wildfires and resulting burn scars, the Cities of Altadena and Malibu are at high risk for mud and rockslides,” the department warns. “Heavy rainfall, which is forecasted for the area, may exacerbate these conditions, leading to potentially life-threatening situations.”
KTLA’s Omar Lewis was in the Pacific Palisades on Sunday morning, where crews took preemptive actions to clear storm drains and place tarps and sandbags on hillsides with burn scar areas. Burn scars, officials say, create high risk for slides as moisture and rainy conditions build up.
“That combination of scorched hillsides and rain is proving to be a dangerous mix with the ground here already charred and disintegrated,” Lewis said.
Rain began to fall across L.A. County on Saturday night. As of 4:48 a.m., the L.A. coast and San Gabriel Mountains received between one and two-tenth inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service.
Joan Herman’s Pacific Palisades home survived the destructive blaze, but she now worries about slides wreaking havoc.
“Our house survived but now we’re worried about the rain,” she told Lewis. “It’s a really hard time.”
A flood watch is in effect until Monday afternoon. Residents are being told to use sandbags to protect their homes from flooding, and to prepare to evacuate in the case of a slide or flood.
A list of road closures throughout L.A. County, due to slide concerns, can be found here.
