Winter Storms Slam Los Angeles County

Update: A small craft advisory warning has been issued for Catalina Island, Palos Verdes, Long Beach, and the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Wind speeds of 21-33 knots are expected to produce hazardous wave conditions to small crafts. Inexperienced mariners, especially those operating smaller vessels should avoid navigating in these conditions.

Winter storms continue to blanket Los Angeles County with heavy rain, wind, mudslides and flash flooding, with the brunt of the storm system expected to hit early Wednesday morning.

Evacuation orders were issued today by the Foothills Unified Incident Command for 147 residences in La Canada Flintridge and 85 residences in La Crescenta due to the possibility of debris flows resulting from forecasted rain storms in the area. Residents are urged to follow the evacuation orders as a safety precaution.

Flooding and damage has been minimal along Los Angeles County beaches and Santa Catalina Island. Some County facilities including parks and courthouses have been affected by the heavy rains which have caused flooding and trees to topple over.

The Department of Public Health has tips on pre-planning for an emergency and cleaning up after disaster strikes in order to best protect one’s health. The storms that have struck this week have already caused evacuations, unfortunate damage to homes, and power outages, underlining the importance for every resident to be prepared.

The 10 Essential Items, as recommended by the Emergency Survival Program in LA County’s Office of Emergency Management, include:

  1. Water
  2. Food
  3. Cash and Important Documents
  4. Clothes
  5. Flashlight
  6. First Aid Kit
  7. Medicine
  8. Radio
  9. Toiletries
  10. Tools

These essential items will help ensure that people have access to basic essentials when other resources may not be available during an emergency. It is also vital that families put together a Communications Plan, such as a pre- planned place to meet and a designated out-of-state contact, in case family members are separated or at work or school when a disaster strikes.

Click here to locate your nearest fire station to obtain free sandbags.

Residents are urged to continue to monitor news broadcasts, or visit the CARE website for further updates as this series of storms approach.