Los Angeles Times

More rain is on horizon

Scattered showers in the Southland are a preview of a bigger storm to come.

- By Joseph Serna

Large swaths of California will be pounded by rain this week, offering a bit of relief as the state enters a sixth year of drought.

Southern California was hit by scattered showers — with some areas experienci­ng thunder, lightning and spells of heavier rain — as a storm moved through the region late Sunday and early Monday. A bigger storm is expected later in the week.

The Bay Area, meanwhile, was drenched with more than an inch of rain Sunday and Monday with a heavier storm that could reach as far north as Sonoma County expected later in the week. Northern California saw heavy rains earlier this month as well.

The rain in the south is particular­ly notable given the dry conditions so far this year. In July, experts at the weather service confirmed that the last five years have been the driest ever documented in downtown L.A. since official record-keeping began almost 140 years ago.

The Southern California storm dumped as much as an inch of rain in the mountains and brought more than 2,100 lightning strikes to Orange and San Diego counties, the National Weather Service said. Authoritie­s in Laguna Beach

and Newport Beach asked visitors to leave the coastline through early Monday afternoon as a safety precaution.

A lighting strike ignited an oak tree surrounded by light brush in San Bernardino County Monday afternoon, authoritie­s said, but the flames failed to spread.

In Los Angeles County, the Department of Public Health advised beachgoers to be careful swimming near storm drains, creeks and rivers because of potentiall­y hazardous runoff through Thursday.

“There is the possibilit­y bacterium or chemicals from debris and trash could contaminat­e the water near and around discharge sites, and individual­s who enter the water in these areas could become ill,” the county said in a statement.

Though only about half an inch of rain fell along the coast and inland valleys, it’s probably a preview of more significan­t rainfall to come later this week, said National Weather Service meteorolog­ist Kathy Hoxsie.

That system could dump as much as 2 inches of rain across the region, and possibly more in the mountains.

“Any thundersto­rms on recent burn areas could result in the first mud and debris flows of the season,” the weather service wrote in an alert. “Flash flooding and ponding of water on roadways will also be possible, along with traffic and airport delays, and localized wind damage.”

With the San Gabriel Valley foothills around Duarte, Bradbury and Azusa weakened from years of drought plus occasional brush fires, the area is prone to debris flows when rain comes down in short, heavy bursts, Hoxsie said.

Officials monitored the areas closely Sunday night and into Monday morning to see how the light rain would affect ground stability, Hoxsie added.

“It was a little touchy where some of those stronger cells were going but ultimately there were no issues there,” she said. “We’re definitely watching.”

This week’s storms are the first of the fall rains in Southern California, meaning that the roads could be slicker and the runoff worse than other times, the weather service cautioned.

 ?? Al Seib Los Angeles Times ?? RAIN FALLS on pedestrian­s at Vermont Avenue and Olympic Boulevard, near downtown L.A., on Monday. Parts of the region saw lightning and heavier rain.
Al Seib Los Angeles Times RAIN FALLS on pedestrian­s at Vermont Avenue and Olympic Boulevard, near downtown L.A., on Monday. Parts of the region saw lightning and heavier rain.

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