UPDATE 5:30 p.m.
The first significant rain of Spring arrived in the Los Angeles area on Sunday, giving firefighters still battling to fully contain multiple major wildfires a much-needed helping hand. But the slow-moving storm also carried a risk of flash floods and debris flows from the sprawling burn scars, and flood advisories were issued in the counties of Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara.
In Los Angeles County, the advisory included the San Fernando Valley, Hollywood, Griffith Park, and the Sepulveda Pass. Nearly half an inch of rain per hour was expected at its peak in those areas, the National Weather Service said. New flood advisories were also issued in parts of western Ventura County.
A flood advisory is a step above a flood watch, which was issued for the wider area of the fires on Sunday at 10 a.m. and expected to last through Monday afternoon.
There were no immediate reports of floods or debris flows as of yet, as the rainfall edged inland, where the highest risk was expected after 4 p.m.
PREVIOUSLY, 10 a.m.:
A flash-flood watch went into effect at 10 a.m. Sunday that includes fire-scarred areas of Souther California, with forecasters boosting their predictions for rainfall that carry the risk of significant flash flooding.
The sl0w-moving storm was expected to drop over an inch of rain over vulnerable most areas between now and Monday afternoon, an increase over earlier predictions as the storm picked up moisture over the Pacific. The mountains of Los Angeles and Ventura counties could see up to 3 inches of rain, with 1/2 inch to an inch possible elsewhere.
The storm was expected to crawl across the area through Monday, when the flood watch was scheduled to lift at 4 p.m.
The National Weather service said flooding was not the most likely outcome, with a 10% to 20% chance of debris flows that could broaden the devastation from two weeks of wildfires that were still not fully contained as of Sunday. But they cautioned residents in those areas to prepare for the worst.
As of Sunday, firefighters had gained the upper hand on all major fires plaguing the Los Angeles area, though none were 100% contained. The Palisades fire, which burned 23,400 acres, was 87% contained; the Eaton fire, which burned more than 14,000 acres and the most deadly with 17 fatalities, was 95% contained; the Hughes fire, which sparked up last week, was 92% contained and most evacuation orders were lifted or reduced.
