Good morning. Here’s what you need to know to start your day.
- Southern California was being pounded by a major storm Thursday morning, bringing evacuation warnings and fears of mudslides.
- LAPD cops shot 21 bystanders in 10 years. How does it keep happening?
- Say goodbye to boring tomatoes: Where to find the most unusual ones for your garden now.
- And here’s today’s e-newspaper.
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What you need to know about the storm while you were asleep
The worst of this week’s atmospheric river storm hit Southern California on Wednesday night and should move out later today.
So much rain after devastating fires is always a recipe for potential disaster, so officials have urged residents in some burn zones in Pacific Palisades and Altadena to be prepared to evacuate amid concerns of flooding and mudslides.
Here’s what you need to know this morning.
Preparations
Los Angeles County officials said they are well prepared for the rains and are hoping to avoid major problems. Crews have been clearing debris basins so they can capture flows, officials told reporter Karen Garcia.
Rainfall forecasts look manageable, but intense downpours and mother nature’s unexpected twists leave burn zone residents on edge.
The worst of the rain should move out later this morning, but officials are warning of a miserable commute, my colleague Hannah Fry reports.
The storm is expected to dump 1 to 2 inches of rain along the coast and up to 4 inches in the valleys at rates that could cause problems.
Flooding and mudslides 101
The National Weather Service said the greatest chance of flooding is through Thursday afternoon.
There’s a 30% to 50% chance of significant flooding and debris flows for areas in the flood watch, particularly the burn scars, said Rose Schoenfeld, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
“The most likely outcome is that we’re going to see shallow to minor debris flows, minor flooding and some amount of ponding and flooding on roadways,” Schoenfeld said.
The pounding rain raises the possibility of mudflows, which can occur long after a storm passes, according to this ultimate guide to mudflows from Times reporter Rong-Gong Lin II.
It’s wet, but also dry
Despite recent stories about the rain, the Los Angeles area has experienced a dry winter.
As of Monday, downtown L.A. received 5.5 inches of rain since the onset of the typical water year, which began Oct. 1.
That is below the average for the winter season that typically sees approximately 11.08 inches. The annual average is 14.25 inches. Indeed, these intense drought-like conditions helped fuel the January firestorms.
Where water levels stand
Northern California had a fairly wet winter, and that is helping with our water supply. California’s snowpack, which supplies a key part of the state’s water supply, is now 85% of average for this time of year, my colleague Ian James reports.
But scientists told Ian they are seeing a long-term trend as a result of climate change: There’s less snow at lower elevations in the mountains.
“That’s really a signature of warmer temperatures,” Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA, told Ian. “There has been precipitation in the mountains in many cases, but that has been more in the form of rain than snow for much of the season.”
Today’s top stories
LAPD cops shot 21 bystanders in 10 years. How does it keep happening?
- The Times analyzed 10 years’ worth of LAPD shooting data, finding 21 instances where officers hit fellow cops or bystanders, including three deaths.
- More than 100 times, police fired rounds in crowded areas, or struck occupied buildings or vehicles.
- Officers are rarely — if ever — punished for hitting or endangering bystanders.
As Trump steamrolls ahead, Democrats see a growing ‘heartbeat’ of resistance
- After months of aggressive action by President Trump, Democrats and other critics are increasingly finding their voices and speaking out, to receptive audiences.
- In an interview on MSNBC, Faiz Shakir, a senior advisor to Sen. Bernie Sanders, described “thousands and thousands” of people showing up to recent rallies by the Vermont senator in Republican-held congressional districts.
What else is going on
- The IRS is sitting on $92 million in unclaimed California tax refunds. How to know if you qualify.
- California lawmakers may give inmate firefighters a raise.
- California Senate leader urges the Dodgers to drop oil and gas advertisers.
- Amid tense clashes between NASA and Musk, two NASA science missions launch on SpaceX rocket.
- L.A. is investigating banking discrimination complaints against Armenians.
- California regulators want to weaken hazardous waste disposal rules.
- A fentanyl dealer gets six years for the death of a SoCal teen. Parents say it’s not enough.
- Getting a filling — at the mall. Why dentists and other wellness tenants are in big demand.
- In Altadena and Pacific Palisades, burned lots are hitting the market.
- The L.A. Times Festival of Books lineup features Chelsea Handler, Stacey Abrams, Amanda Gorman, Jon M. Chu and more.
- Trump is dismantling the Education Department. Here’s what it does.
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Commentary and opinions
- Fire could have destroyed the Getty’s irreplaceable art. Times art critic Christopher Knight asks, should the museum move?
- Are White House insiders using Trump’s tariff announcements to play the stock market? It’s not that easy, columnist Michael Hiltzik writes.
- When it comes to Trump’s economy, the adults have left the room, columnist Jackie Calmes writes.
- Attacks on universities aren’t about antisemitism. They’re about silencing dissent, writes columnist Anita Chabria.
- The protectors of Santa Monica Bay are caving to Trump’s dangerous demands. This is how democracies wither and die, columnist Sammy Roth writes.
This morning’s must reads
Can fire-gutted suburbs rebuild safer? Here’s what the experts say. It might sound counterintuitive, but increased density can actually be safer if structures are built to the latest standards and landscaped with fire-resistant plants, experts say. Simply put, flames have less room and fuel to spread.
Other must reads
- Say goodbye to boring tomatoes: Where to find the most unusual ones for your garden now.
- Fearing for their lives, Syrian refugees flee into Lebanon.
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to [email protected].
For your downtime
Going out
- 🐎🥞🎥The cityscape just behind the Hollywood sign keeps the early to mid 20th century alive, thriving and center stage. Here’s a guide to the best things to do, see and eat in Burbank.
- 🎼This Sunday, the Los Angeles Master Chorale will fill the sails of Walt Disney Concert Hall with that stormy, earwormy cantata by Carl Orff: “Carmina Burana.” Here’s everything you need to know about Hollywood’s go-to music for epic movie moments.
Staying in
- 📗What’s the line between religion and cult? It’s blurry in Nicole Cuffy’s second novel, “O Sinners!”
- 🍲 Here’s a recipe for We’ll Always Have Italy vegetable soup.
- ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.
A question for you: What’s one of your favorite books to read when there’s bad weather?
It’s another rainy day in Southern California. Do you have a favorite book to read when the weather sucks?
Email us at [email protected], and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.
And finally … from our archives
On March 13, 2013, Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina became the first pope from the Americas and the first from outside Europe in more than a millennium. Former Times reporter Henry Chu wrote about how the new Pope Francis was immediately confronted with daunting challenges.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Ryan Fonseca, reporter
Defne Karabatur, fellow
Andrew Campa, Sunday reporter
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Hunter Clauss, multiplatform editor
Christian Orozco, assistant editor
Stephanie Chavez, deputy metro editor
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
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