Southern California continues to face the threat of dangerous flooding through Friday as heavy rain targets the Los Angeles and San Diego areas, before moving east.
More than 20 million people from Southern California through central Arizona remained under a Flood Watch as rain totals exceeded 10 inches in some mountainous areas, while bringing a month’s worth of rain in one hour to Ventura County.
Rainfall totals combined with the potential for heavy rain bursts triggered by thunderstorms, especially in areas of recent burn scars, prompted NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center (WPC) to place areas of Southern California in Level 3 of 4 risk zones for flash flooding.
For many communities, the rain was the heaviest since the remnants of Cyclone Hilary hit the region in August.
Some of the hardest hit areas included Oxnard and Santa Barbara, where water rescues were needed.
A good Samaritan driver pulled two people from a vehicle before it was swept away and the American Red Cross opened at least one shelter.
Oxnard, Hueneme Harbor residents woke up to flooded homes
Significant flash flooding occurred in the Oxnard area, Ventura County’s largest city, after 3.18 inches of rain fell in one hour – which 2.25 inches fell in just 30 minutes.
The city averages 2.5 inches of rain for the entire month. Storm totals approached 6 inches in the city’s civic center by Thursday afternoon.
Photos shared on social media from Oxnard showed 2 feet of water over the road.
Rain fell in Oxnard, Port Hueneme and Ventura on Thursday. X/@NWSLosAngeles
Larry Emerson, a resident of Port Hueneme in Ventura County, said he woke up to a disappointing sight Thursday morning when he discovered about a foot of water had seeped into his garage.
“Everything was wet and about a foot above everything,” he said. “The flood must have gone through the entire garage. I got a box destroyed… (Flood water) tipped over a commercial vacuum cleaner and got water inside. It’s so powerful.”
About 60 houses were flooded, even a senior living center had to be evacuated. First responders had to use high-wheeled vehicles to evacuate about 20 people.
Winter Solstice rain was diverted from homes near Beach Village Road in Montecito by sandbags as water inundated Santa Barbara County on Thursday. ZUMAPRESS.com
During the height of the flooding, Ventura County Fire reported that they received about 275 calls in a five-hour period, according to public information officer Andy VanSciver. That’s much higher than their normal call volume of less than 200 calls a day.
“This storm is quite unique in Port Hueneme, Oxnard area. This is a coastal community, so it’s pretty flat to start here by the ocean,” VanSciver said.
“Therefore, the flood control channel has been flooded. I did hear my answer as I was gathering information on the police radio and FM radio that the National Weather Service reported that it had received very heavy rain.
A submerged car on a flooded road during a rainstorm, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023, in Santa Barbara, Calif. AP
“Sometimes they say it’s probably more than we’ve received in the last 30 to 40 years in a short period of time.”
A total of 8 inches of rain is expected
By the end of the week, between 5 and 8 inches of rain is forecast in some areas, with some places experiencing higher totals, maintaining a constant risk of flash and urban flooding.
Rain forecast on the West Coast until Friday. Fox weather
Some mountainous areas of Southern California reported more than 10 inches of rain for the week as of Thursday evening.
Rocky Butte in San Luis Obispo County reported 15.95 inches, while Ventura County’s Old Man Mountain had 13.70 inches, according to the National Weather Service.
Closer to the metro area, Beverly Hills had 2.66 inches of rain while Los Angeles’ LAX airport reported 2.15 inches.
Severe weather rattled residents as a Tornado Warning was issued in Ventura County
For some, the storm brought not only heavy rain and flooding, but also the threat of severe weather.
Check out the latest storm reports in Southern California. Fox weather
Early Thursday morning, two Tornado Warnings were issued for the Oxnard area after Doppler Radar indicated possible rotation inside the thunderstorm.
The Tornado Warning is the first issued by the National Weather Service’s Los Angeles office in December since 2008.
“At one point, we had over 350,000 people under a Tornado Warning and also a Flash Flood Warning,” said FOX Weather Meteorologist Britta Merwin.
Snow covers the Sierra Nevada
The same system also dropped heavy snow over the highest elevations of California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains, with lower snow totals over the highest elevations of the Washington and Oregon Cascades and parts of Idaho and Nevada.
Rain is forecast to slowly move east through Friday, drying out Southern California from west to east and moving heavy rain and the threat of flooding into parts of Arizona.
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