Atmospheric river brings threat of further flooding to Southern California
As a powerful rainstorm continues to impact Southern California, areas are bracing for the potential of further flooding after roadways and communities have already been affected.
The storm, known as an atmospheric river, has drenched parts of coastal Southern California with 1 to 5 inches of rain from early Wednesday to late Thursday, with some areas seeing more than 6 inches of rainfall. The deluge led to knee-deep floodwaters in some areas, road closures, and an evacuation warning for communities in Ventura County just days before the holiday weekend.
The impact of the storm has been significant, and as the rainstorm is expected to continue into Friday, the threat of further flooding remains. Portions of Southern California will see continued rainfall on Friday, with a slight risk for excessive rainfall in effect for parts of the region. Up to 2 inches of rain are possible as the atmospheric river moves east, posing a significant threat to the area.
Flood watches are in effect through Friday evening for various areas in Southern California, and up to an additional inch of rain is expected to fall across the Los Angeles area on Friday. The greater threat of heavy rain is projected to move away from the coast and inland, east of the region’s mountains.
In nearby Ventura County, the city of Oxnard’s downtown area flooded after a month’s worth of rain fell in a single hour on Thursday morning. The impact was significant, with more than 3 inches of rain falling per hour at the height of the storm. The severe flooding led to an evacuation warning for parts of the county and affected at least 60 homes. The county’s fire department received a staggering uptick in calls, with 275 calls within five hours compared to an estimated 190 calls per day.
Additionally, on the other side of the US, the impacts of a deadly storm in the Northeast earlier this week are still being felt, with thousands of homes and businesses in Maine still without power and significant damage reported.
As the storm continues to impact regions across the US, the threat of further flooding and damage remains a concern.
[CNN Meteorologist Robert Shackelford, Mary Gilbert, and Jillian Sykes contributed to this report.]