Winter Storm Hits Southern California with Heavy Rain

A powerful winter storm swept into Southern California on Monday, February 16, delivering heavy rain, gusty winds and flash flood risks to millions along the coast from Santa Barbara to San Diego, while blanketing Northern California's mountains with significant snow. The system, the first of three expected this week, prompted flood watches, evacuation warnings and transportation disruptions on President's Day, with no major injuries reported as of early afternoon.

The storm arrived early Monday morning, bringing intense rainfall rates that raised concerns for urban flooding and debris flows in wildfire burn scar areas. National Weather Service meteorologists estimated 1 to 3 inches of rain for coastal and valley regions through the evening, with higher elevations potentially receiving 4 to 5 inches or more. Parts of western Los Angeles, including areas near UCLA and Venice, recorded over an inch in just one hour, prompting a flash flood warning for central Los Angeles County until 2 p.m. that covered communities like Glendale, Pasadena, Santa Monica and Beverly Hills. A severe thunderstorm warning also issued for portions of Los Angeles and Long Beach highlighted risks of 70...