Rain Brings Hope and Hazards to Los Angeles

After weeks of grueling wildfires fueled by the Santa Ana winds, Southern California finally got some relief. The winds stopped blowing on Friday, and a cold storm was on its way to Los Angeles County. This storm was predicted to bring light to moderate rain from Saturday night to Monday. This much-needed rain would help douse the dry landscape and aid firefighting crews. However, there was a small risk of flash floods and mudslides. Areas recently hit by wildfires like the Hughes, Bridge, Franklin, Palisades, and especially the Eaton fires were at particular risk. The National Weather Service issued a flood watch from 4 p. m. Sunday to noon on Monday, when the chance of heavy rain and thunderstorms was highest.Kristan Lund, a meteorologist with the Weather Service, warned that flooding was the worst-case scenario. There was a 20% chance that debris flows could damage roads and structures. She advised people to avoid the affected areas during the watch period. To protect their properties, residents were told to use sandbags and stock up on supplies in case road access became blocked.