Weather & Science
California Faces Mudslide Threat From Flooding Rains After Wildfires
- Storm raises the risk of debris flows in recently burned areas
- Atmospheric rivers can also help refill the state’s reservoirs
Homes destroyed in the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades, California, on Jan. 27.
Photographer: Mario Tama/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Weeks after wildfires that killed at least 29 people and destroyed entire neighborhoods, Southern California is facing another extreme-weather threat: Too much rain.
After drenching the northern part of the state, a massive Pacific storm will start to move south into Los Angeles on Tuesday, where it can transform burned hillsides into rivers of mud and debris. Rain has already started in San Luis Obispo and will soak Santa Barbara and Ventura counties later Monday before reaching Los Angeles.