Storm warning: Flash floods, strong winds

Officials tell Southland residents in burn scars to be on alert

- ALEX WIGGLESWORTH

LOS ANGELES has issued evacuation warnings for burn scar areas. Above, clouds over the city on Oct. 3.

A wintry storm could dump significant rain and snow on portions of California, bringing damaging winds and flash floods to parts of Southern California, especially in and around burn scars, the National Weather Service has warned.

Here’s what forecasters were predicting, although they cautioned the situation was evolving and subject to change.

Monday into Tuesday

The core of the storm, which was expected to bring the most damaging impacts, was predicted to move through San Francisco and Santa Barbara counties starting Monday evening and reach Ventura and Los Angeles counties after midnight, said Ryan Kittell, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. He said those areas may see light showers before and after the core moves through.

Peak rates of 0.25 to 0.5 of an inch of rain per hour were possible, with total accumulations of 0.75 to 1.5 inches for coastal and valley areas and 1.5 to 3 inches in the mountains, according to the weather service. Forecasters cautioned that severe thunderstorms could also bring more intense downpours in some places, as well as heavy winds that could take down trees and power lines.