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Los Angeles County warns of intense storm; officials urge evacuations and describe flood‑control steps
Summary
County supervisors, the sheriff and Public Works warned of heightened flood and mudflow risk in burn scars and outlined evacuation notifications, debris‑capture measures and debris‑basin work — including trucking orders to clear Eaton Wash basin capacity.
Los Angeles County officials warned residents on a flash‑flood watch that an intense storm expected later this week could trigger mud and debris flows in burned slopes and urged people in high‑risk areas to heed evacuation warnings.
Supervisor Lindsay Horvath said the county expects some of the week’s heaviest rain Thursday into Friday and warned that sections of Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) and canyon roads could be closed for safety. “There are concerns about our canyon roads in particular, as well as our PCH and vulnerable hillsides,” Horvath said.
Sheriff Robert Luna described operational preparations and urged residents not to ignore evacuation orders. “Nothing that you have back home is worth your life,” Luna said. He said deputies, search‑and‑rescue teams, air rescue crews and incident management teams were on standby, and that outreach teams had been notifying people living in flood‑prone areas such as the LA River and Coyote Creek.
Public Works readiness and debris‑basin work Mark Pastrella, director of Public Works and chief engineer for the Los Angeles County Flood Control District, outlined the county’s engineering assessment and flood‑control preparations. He said the district has 54 debris basins and has been working 24/7 to clean basins and create capacity for incoming storms. “We have the capacity for the size of storm that we expect to come into the storm,” Pastrella said.
Pastrella said the Eaton Wash dam required immediate work and that crews removed 50,000 cubic yards from one basin to create capture capacity; he said the district aims to remove roughly 500,000 cubic yards from stockpiles over several weeks. He also ordered around‑the‑clock trucking for two weeks beginning next Monday to move debris out of holding areas.
Traffic and street‑level debris management County officials described temporary streetside captures—K‑rail, sandbags and barricades—to keep debris in roadways where crews can collect and filter sediment before it reaches catch basins and waterways. Pastrella said the strategy aims both to protect residents and to prevent pollutants from reaching the ocean.
Notifications and evacuation decisions Kevin McGowan, director of the county Office of Emergency Management, said evacuations are being handled surgically and that officials use both in‑person notifications and mass alerts. He said the county has addressed prior notification problems and is working with federal and carrier partners; a third‑party after‑action review was ordered by the board and the first report is due in 90 days.
How residents should respond Officials urged residents in burn‑scar areas — including Altadena, the Palisades, Malibu (Big Rock, Sunset Mesa), Topanga and Eaton Fire areas — to sign up for targeted alerts at alertLA.org and to follow evacuation warnings. “If evacuation orders are made … keep your safety in mind,” Sheriff Luna said.
Ending note Officials said dispatch centers, hotlines and county websites (ready.LACounty.gov) provide ongoing information during the storm watch and asked residents to prepare emergency kits, secure documents, and make plans for pets and family members.
