(The Center Square) – A storm starting overnight Tuesday in California is expected to bring a high risk of debris flows later this week to the burn areas from the Los Angeles County fires.
Between 2 and 3 inches of rain is expected to fall in the Palisades Fire area and between 3.5 to 5 inches in the Eaton Fire area, said Lisa Phillips, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
The risk of debris flow in those areas is high, Phillips told The Center Square Tuesday.
As the storm heads south, it’s expected to bring light rain around 10 p.m. Tuesday to Ventura County and around 4 a.m. Wednesday in Los Angeles County, she said.
The rain will grow more intense on Thursday, with a flash flood watch in effect from 1 p.m. to midnight, Phillips said. She added there’s a chance of thunderstorms on the same day.
The rain is expected to last through Friday.
The Los Angeles County Public Works Department prepared for the storm by cleaning drainage facilities and debris basins. The department also added K-rails and laid out more than 1,500 sandbags.
Elsewhere, Northern California on Wednesday through Friday is expected to experience 2 to 4 inches of rain throughout the Bay Area and 3 to 8 inches in the Santa Cruz and Santa Lucia mountains, said Matt Mehle, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Monterey.
This week’s storm will bring something not seen during last week’s storm in the Bay Area: high surfs, Mehle told The Center Square Tuesday.
Waves could be as high as 45 feet in the Bay Area, he said.
“We are concerned about high winds. Winds will be 60 or 70 mph,” Mehle said, adding there are risks of downed tree branches and power lines.
.