How to prepare, protect yourself amid the deluge

Intense Christmas storm is raising flood risks across Southern California this week.

- KAREN GARCIA

L.A. COUNTY workers load sandbags Tuesday for a resident near the Eaton fire burn zone ahead of the rain.

(MARIO TAMA Getty Images)

Southern California is in for an intense dousing of rain, along with strong winds and major snow over the Christmas holiday, a combination that forecasters say has the potential for life-threatening flooding and mudslides, among other risks.

The excessive rainfall also has the potential to raise the dangers associated with flash flooding, according to the National Weather Service.

“These [high-risk] days correspond to about two out of every five flood-related fatalities and a significant majority of all flood-related property losses in the contiguous United States,” the agency said.

Rainfall across Southern California was expected to intensify throughout the day Tuesday and into the night, but the highest risks of flooding are expected Wednesday, said Ariel Cohen, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service's Oxnard office.

Areas at risk of flash flooding include the southern slopes of the Santa Monica, San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains. Much of the Los Angeles Basin, as well as Santa Clarita, Thousand Oaks and Santa Barbara, are included in that high-risk zone, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Weather Prediction Center.

Flood risks could stretch into Saturday, as meteorologists say the chance for rain will linger into the weekend.

As the name suggests, flash floods can develop quickly, sometimes in just a few minutes and without visible signs of rain, according to Ready L.A. County, a government-sponsored emergency preparedness website.

Be aware of flood hazards wherever you live, especially if your home is in a low-lying area or near water, canyons or near a recently burned hillside, the website advises.