Biggest storm of season hits Southland

Forecaster warns of potential for 'life-threatening flooding' over several days

- BY GRACE TOOHEY AND GAVIN J. QUINTON

A major atmospheric river storm walloping the state with heavy rains, strong winds and major snow is making its way to Southern California, bringing what forecasters say is likely to become the region's worst Christmas storm in recent memory.

“This is a long-duration event, so we're going to be having the cumulative effects of rain,” said Ariel Cohen, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service's Oxnard office. He said there was a high potential for widespread, life-threatening flooding as well as dangerous rock and mudslides, among other risks.

“It might be best to stay indoors during this event,” Cohen said. “This is a lot of rain that’s going to stack up over multiple days.”

Although rains are expected to intensify throughout the day Tuesday and into the night, concerns over serious flooding are focused on Wednesday — Christmas Eve — as rainfall totals increase, he said. Flooding risks could even stretch through Saturday, as the chance for rain will linger until then.

"It's going to takeless and less rain for there to be more and more impacts as the week progresses," Cohen said.

The storm already has caused dangerous flooding across Northern California, leading to at least one death, and officials warn that the storm is just getting started.

MYUNG J. CHUN Los Angeles Times RAIN began Tuesday in L.A. Heavy downpours are expected to begin Wednesday.

Most of the state remains under a several-days-long flood watch, and on Tuesday morning, Southern California officials started issuing evacuation warnings and orders for residents near recent burn scars, including from the Palisades, Eaton, Kenneth, Bridge, Agua Dulce, Lidia, Canyon, Sunset and Hurst fires.