Rain on the way to Southern California will aid firefighters but create a risk of toxic ash runoff
Rain on the way to Southern California will aid firefighters but create a risk of toxic ash runoff
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Rain on the way to parched Southern California on Saturday will aid firefighters mopping up multiple wildfires. But heavy downpours on charred hillsides could bring the threat of new troubles like toxic ash runoff. Los Angeles County crews spent much of the week removing vegetation, shoring up slopes and reinforcing roads in devastated areas of the Palisades and Eaton fires, which reduced entire neighborhoods to rubble and ash after breaking out during powerful winds Jan. 7.
The National Weather Service said most of the region would likely get less than an inch of precipitation, but “the threat is high enough to prepare for the worst-case scenario” of localized cloudbursts causing mud and debris to flow down hills. “While damaging debris flows are not the most likely outcome, there is still a lot of uncertainty with this storm,” the weather service office for Los Angeles said on social media.
Rain was expected to begin Saturday afternoon, increase throughout the weekend and last into Monday, forecasters said. Flood watches were issued for some burn areas. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order this week to expedite cleanup efforts and mitigate the environmental impacts of fire-related pollutants. LA County supervisors also approved an emergency motion to install flood-control infrastructure and expedite and remove sediment in fire-impacted areas.
