A rare October storm brought heavy rainfall to Southern California on Tuesday, resulting in swollen rivers, traffic accidents, and evacuations in areas previously affected by wildfires. The National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings across several counties where recent fires had stripped hillsides of vegetation, increasing the risk of mudslides.
Rainfall totals reached up to 1.5 inches in most areas by Tuesday afternoon, with the San Gabriel Mountains northeast of Los Angeles receiving over 5 inches. Firefighters rescued two people and two dogs from the Los Angeles River. The Los Angeles Fire Department reported that a 45-year-old man was hospitalized for exposure while a 30-year-old woman declined medical transport.
Authorities ordered the evacuation of approximately 115 homes, primarily in Pacific Palisades and Mandeville Canyon—areas impacted by a large fire in January that killed more than 30 people and destroyed over 17,000 structures in Los Angeles County. Additional evacuation orders were issued for canyon neighborhoods in Orange County.
David Roth, a forecaster with the Weather Prediction Center in Maryland, explained the challenges faced after wildfires: “Fires make the soil become ‘an oil-like surface’ that is impermeable. It takes years for that to really wear off. The first year after a severe fire or a significant fire is the worst year, and just everything runs off. It’s almost like the ground has become asphalt.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other officials advised residents to remain vigilant and stay indoors during the storm.
Despite the weather, some residents ventured outdoors. Alex Tsykhanivski said after visiting Griffith Observatory with Kateryna Tsykhanivski: “It doesn’t rain much in LA. So every time we see rain, we like to go out.”
Southern California has experienced below-average rainfall this year, with much of the region classified as being under moderate or severe drought conditions according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Curtis Riganti from the National Drought Mitigation Center commented on the storm’s potential impact: “It’s definitely welcome rain. But how much it helps … it’s too soon to tell.” He noted that further analysis would be conducted over the coming week.
The storm also led to tornado warnings and rockslides; more than 21,000 customers lost power across Southern and central California, according to PowerOutage.us.
Earlier this year in February, similar heavy rains triggered debris flows and mudslides in neighborhoods previously affected by January’s fires. In Sierra Madre near Eaton Fire’s site, water and debris damaged homes and trapped vehicles. A section of Pacific Coast Highway near Pacific Palisades was covered by sludge; a debris flow swept an LAFD vehicle into the ocean.
Concerns about post-fire mudslides have remained high since devastating slides struck Montecito in Santa Barbara County following heavy rain on burned slopes in 2018.
Elsewhere in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, Mammoth Mountain Ski Area reported snowfall Tuesday morning with forecasts predicting up to three feet of snow for parts of the range.
Other parts of the United States also experienced severe weather events. In Pagosa Springs, Colorado, about 100 residents evacuated after flooding from Tropical Storm Raymond caused riverbanks to overflow—marking the second such event since the weekend. In Tempe, Arizona, a microburst brought strong winds and half an inch of rain within ten minutes on Monday; trees were uprooted and thousands lost power as roofs were damaged.
Alaska faced hurricane-force winds from Typhoon Halong over the weekend, leading to flooding that swept away homes; one person died and two went missing while more than 50 were rescued.
On Monday off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, a man spotted by ferry crew amid rough seas was rescued by U.S. Coast Guard helicopter after being pulled from six-foot waves.
This version corrects previous misspellings of Alex and Kateryna Tsykhanivski’s names.
