Officials Warn of Risks, Urge Residents to Prepare for Severe Weather
A Pacific storm system is expected to bring widespread rainfall and strong winds to the Los Angeles area from Tuesday night through Friday, with the heaviest downpours likely occurring Thursday into Thursday night, according to the National Weather Service.
Forecasters warn of a high risk of urban flooding, particularly on roads, burn scar areas from the Palisades Fire, and in parking lots. Rainfall will begin lightly on Wednesday and early Thursday before intensifying Thursday afternoon into Friday morning. Gusty winds are also expected, reaching 20 to 40 mph in the valleys and up to 60 mph in the mountains.
To review areas that are in high debris flow risk zones due to the recent burn scars, visit: https://pw.lacounty.gov/explore-public-works/fire-disaster-information/. This includes the following fires: Hurst (San Fernando), Sunset (Hollywood Hills), Kenneth (West Hills), and Palisades (Pacific Palisades and Mandeville Canyon).
Residents are urged to stay safe on the roads by:
Checking your brakes
Driving carefully, avoiding flooded areas
Stay off the roads if possible
Pacific Coast Highway has been closed fully in both directions indefinitely since February 7 in both directions between Chautauqua Boulevard and Carbon Beach Terrace. It is important to note that burn scar areas are already saturated from the previous storm.
In preparation for the storm, the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) is reminding residents that free, ready-to-fill sandbags are available year-round at all neighborhood fire stations. Sand is also provided at select locations, depending on seasonal conditions. Residents can use local soil as an alternative filling material.
The following fire stations have sandbags available for residents’ needs:
- Baldwin Hills / Crenshaw District – Fire Station 94, 4470 Coliseum Street
- Bel Air / Beverly Glen (south) – Fire Station 71, 107 South Beverly Glen Boulevard
- Beverly Crest / Coldwater Canyon – Fire Station 108, 12520 Mulholland Drive
- Beverly Glen (north) / Benedict Canyon – Fire Station 99, 14145 Mulholland Drive
- Brentwood / Mandeville Canyon – Fire Station 19, 12229 West Sunset Boulevard
- Hollywood / Hollywood Hills (west) – Fire Station 41, 1439 North Gardner Avenue
- Laurel Canyon / Mulholland – Fire Station 97, 8021 Mulholland Drive
- Palms / Cheviot Hills / Rancho Park – Fire Station 43, 3690 Motor Avenue
- South Los Angeles / Historic South Central – Fire Station 21, 1192 East 51st Street
- South Los Angeles / Watts – Fire Station 64, 10811 South Main Street
- Westchester / LAX Area – Fire Station 5, 8900 South Emerson Avenue
Officials emphasize that sandbags should be used to redirect water and debris flow rather than to block it entirely. Because sandbagging and flood control efforts can be physically demanding, residents are encouraged to follow safety guidelines and consider hiring a licensed contractor for large-scale needs.
LAFD provides up to 25 free sandbags per household but does not offer filling, delivery, installation, or removal services. Additional sandbags and flood prevention supplies can be purchased at home improvement and building supply stores, many of which offer delivery services.
Residents are advised to call their local fire station ahead of time to check supply availability. A full list of sand distribution locations is available on the LAFD website
