Facing record rainfall and days of weather-driven havoc, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass signed a declaration of emergency Feb. 5 to ensure the city “has the resources to respond,” she wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Assistance will be needed not only for immediate response, but also for the recovery period, Ms. Bass said on emergency.lacity.gov. Water damage to roads, for example, will require long-term repair, she said.
The mayor urged residents to stay home and to comply with any evacuation orders that may be issued, adding that police will provide door-to-door notification if needed.
Ms. Bass pointed out that the residents of “certain neighborhoods” who needed to be rescued had not complied with evacuation orders.
Ms. Bass’s move followed emergency declarations by L.A. County and Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Rain continued Tuesday in Southern California, with showers expected into Wednesday. A flood advisory is in place until 4 p.m. Tuesday for Los Angeles County, the NWS posted on X.
The NWS also urged morning commuters, especially in Ventura County, where rain was heavy, to “slow down, use your headlights and increase your following distance.”
The NWS said downtown Los Angeles received nearly 2.93 inches of rain Monday, topping the 1901 record of 2.3 inches for that date.
Downtown L.A. rainfall on Sunday and Monday totaled 7.03 inches, the third highest two-day total since 1877, when the recording of weather records began, said the NWS. The record is 7.98 inches on Dec. 31, 1933.
UCLA reported 12 inches of rainfall in a 24-hour period from Sunday to Monday, said Colin McCarthy of US Stormwatch in an X post.
Rain totals in the Santa Monica and San Gabriel mountains topped 12 inches in some areas, the Los Angeles Times reported.
In Orange County, evacuation warnings were issued for Santa Ana Mountains foothill communities such as Silverado Canyon and Modjeska Canyon.
