After weeks of windy and dry weather, rain has fallen in parched Southern California and is expected to aid firefighters who are mopping up multiple wildfires. But potentially heavy downpours on charred hillsides could bring new troubles such as toxic ash runoff.
Rainfall began late Saturday and is expected to increase Sunday, possibly lasting into early Tuesday. Flood watches have been issued for some burn areas, while snow is likely in the mountains. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order to expedite cleanup efforts and mitigate the environmental impacts of fire-related pollutants.
LA County supervisors also approved an emergency motion to install flood-control infrastructure and remove sediment in fire-impacted areas. So the problem would be if one of those showers happens to park itself over a burn area,” weather service meteorologist Carol Smith said.
“That could be enough to create debris flows.” Los Angeles County crews have been working diligently to remove vegetation, shore up slopes, and reinforce roads in areas devastated by the Palisades and Eaton fires, which destroyed entire neighborhoods during powerful winds on January 7.
The region is expected to receive around an inch of precipitation over several days, but localized cloudbursts could cause mud and debris to flow down hills.
Officials warned that ash in recent burn zones contains a toxic mix of incinerated materials, including cars, electronics, batteries, building materials, paints, furniture, pesticides, asbestos, plastics, and lead. Residents were urged to wear protective gear while cleaning up.
The rain is expected to snap a near-record streak of dry weather for Southern California, with much of the region receiving less than 5% of the average rainfall for this point in the water year, which began October 1. Most of Southern California is currently in extreme drought or “severe drought,” according to the US drought monitor.
