Photo: SEAN GLADWELL / Moment / Getty Images
LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Southern California is in for another stormy weekend, after rain set records in Los Angeles County on New Year's Day and put a damper on the annual Rose Parade.
The rain is expected to begin Friday night and continue through Tuesday, with the heaviest rainfall on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. As usual, authorities will be keeping a close watch on recent burn areas for possible mud and debris flow, and motorists were advised to stay off the roads if possible and to exercise extreme caution if they do drive.
Forecasters said the initial estimate is a quarter- to half-inch per hour with isolated rates up to .75 of an inch during the most intense storm period Saturday. Thunderstorm potential looked minimal, but a beach hazards statement was issued for Orange County, where tides could combine with southerly winds at times to bring minor tidal overflows at area beaches.
Record New Year's Day rainfall was recorded Thursday at the following sites, according to the NWS:
-- Hollywood/Burbank Airport, 1.32 inches, breaking the previous record of .35 inches set in 2006.
-- Long Beach Airport, 1.11 inches, breaking the previous record of .6 inches set in 1982.
-- Lancaster, .87 inches, breaking the previous record of .24 inches set in 2006.
The weather service added that several significant storms affecting southwestern California from October through December have brought seasonal rainfall totals already close to or above normal full-season levels, with January and February still to come.
Although active rainfall was mostly on pause during Thursday's 137th Tournament of Roses Parade, the route along Colorado Boulevard was rain- slickened for the first time in 20 years, skies were uncharacteristically overcast, and many in the crowd wore ponchos to protect themselves from the overnight rain.
Elsewhere, the rain mostly let up in the afternoon after a stormy morning.
A body was pulled out of the Santa Ana River in Costa Mesa on Thursday. Firefighters were dispatched at about noon to a water rescue in the 2500 block of Harbor Boulevard, near the Costa Mesa Country Club.
The unidentified body was hoisted out by a rescue team in Fountain Valley, about two miles down-river, according to the Orange County Fire Authority.
Interstate 5 near Tuxford Street and Lankershim Boulevard in the northeast San Fernando Valley was temporarily closed Thursday following early morning rainfall, but reopened later in the day. Crews placed sandbags along the eroded northbound shoulder to prevent flooding.
Caltrans was also expected to reopen a 3.6-mile stretch of Topanga Canyon Boulevard between Pacific Coast Highway and Grand View Drive in the unincorporated community of Topanga at 5 a.m. Friday, after crews complete the removal of debris flows from the roadway.
The stretch of road will still have previous restrictions in place due to ongoing recovery efforts from the Palisades Fire. It is closed to the public from midnight to 5 a.m. daily.
State and local officials have precautions in place for weather- related emergency response needs.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday he directed the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services to pre-position fire and rescue personnel and resources in areas most at risk for flooding, mud, and debris flows -- including parts of Southern California, with a particular eye towards burn scar areas.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass' office said the city's Emergency Operations Center was activated Wednesday to coordinate preparedness measures and ensure all personnel are ready to respond as needed.
Bass added that the LAFD had augmented staffing of specialized resources that can assist with swift water rescues, mud and debris flows, and other rain-related issues with a specific focus in burn scar areas.
Additionally, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power was poised to respond to any potential power outages and will work around the clock to meet customer demand, according to the mayor's office. L.A. Sanitation was also on standby to assist with any flooding calls and with monitoring the city's wastewater conveyance system to manage the additional incoming water flow.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors held a special meeting Wednesday morning, where the board ratified a local emergency proclamation issued earlier by board Chair Hilda Solis. The proclamation allows the county "to seek reimbursement for storm-related damages and accelerate recovery efforts" and ensure that "resources and assistance can be deployed quickly to support residents and communities affected by the storms."