Los Angeles is definitely under the weather amid the strongest storm of the week

Two men walk on the Santa Monica Pier under an umbrella as light rain descends.

Visitors make their way through light rain Tuesday on the Santa Monica Pier.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

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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.

Rain falls over a stormy skyline on Wednesday.

(Juliana Yamada/Los Angeles Times)

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

A man stands inside of a house

Israel Hernandez was shot in 2017 when a bullet fired by an LAPD officer pierced the wall of his Wilmington apartment and sliced through his leg. He later sued the city, and received a $985,000 settlement.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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

What else is going on


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Commentary and opinions

This morning’s must reads

Image of community with burning wildlands in the background.

(Lorena Iñiguez Elebee)

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


How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to [email protected].


For your downtime

Burbank in calligraphic script

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

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

Pope Francis in a white robe and white cap holding up his left hand

(Andrew Medichini / Associated Press)

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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