Largest Storm of the Season Forecast to Bring Heavy Rains

UPDATED March 22

What many are calling the largest storm of the season is expected to start late Tuesday with the heaviest rains forecast to fall Wednesday into Friday.

The National Weather Service is predicting up to six inches in northern coastal areas, while recent burn areas in the Santa Barbara and Ventura mountains and foothills could get as much as 10 inches. Los Angeles and Inland Empire area mountain and foothill areas may receive up to six inches of rain through Thursday night.

The continuous rain over a three-day period could result in debris flow and flash flooding in some areas and the weather service has issued a flash flood watch for much of Southern California and the Southern Sierras. Santa Barbara County issued a pre-evacuation advisory for residents living in areas affected by the recent wildfires. 

Southern California Edison has been conducting storm patrols throughout its service territory in preparation, doing inspections and prep work such as clearing out storm drains. The utility has also staged extra crews, especially in the vulnerable areas of Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. In preparation, a helicopter from its Air Ops division, will be stationed in Camarillo and available if needed.

“This storm will likely be the heaviest so far this season and in co-ordination with local agencies, we will have extra crews and personnel ready to respond in case we have additional power outages,” said Christine Fanous, SCE incident commander for the storm event. “We want to remind our customers to never approach or touch a downed power line and to call 911 immediately.”

Heavy storms can also cause power to traffic lights to go out. Drivers should use caution and treat these intersections as four-way stops.  

Customers can report or inquire about outages at 800-611-1911 and get the latest information using the SCE outages app at sce.com/outages. They can also stay informed by visiting sce.com/staysafe,  twitter.com/sce and facebook.com/sce. 

For more information: SCE’s Wildfire Support and Information page (www.sce.com/firesupport).

Storm Safety Tips: 

• Downed trees and mudslides may have damaged electrical lines. If you come across any downed wires, stay away and call 911. 
• Beware during flooding. Just six inches of moving water can knock you down and two feet can sweep your vehicle away. 
• Wet yards with puddles on cement or grass can carry electricity. If a line is down in your yard, remain indoors and call 911 immediately. 
• Never try to remove a broken tree limb or branch that has come in contact with a power line.
• Make sure you have battery-operated radio and flashlights. Check the batteries to make sure they’re fresh. Use flashlights for lighting during a power outage. Do not use candles because they pose a fire hazard. 
• If you use a generator, place it outdoors and plug individual appliances directly into it, using heavy-duty extension cords. Connecting generators directly to household circuits creates “backfeed,” which is dangerous to repair crews.