Slight Chance of Twister in Southern California as Storm Drenches State

People walk during a storm in Newport Beach, Calif., on Feb. 20, 2024. John Fredricks/The Epoch Tmes

Los Angeles and Santa Barbara counties could see thunderstorms and a possible brief tornado as the latest storm continued showering Southern California, the National Weather Service reported Feb. 20.

The storm, which started in most of the state Monday, produced light rain again Tuesday. But residents should expect heavier showers Tuesday night and into Wednesday, according to meteorologist Rose Schoenfeld at the weather service’s Oxnard office.

With the heavier downpour, the region also could see a weak brief tornado or waterspout over the ocean—along with thunder, lightning, and heavy wind, Ms. Schoenfeld said.

The weather service advised residents to watch for alerts on their cellphones or pay attention to particularly heavy gusts.

“While that sounds pretty scary, the best general advice is … get to an interior room, or get to a lower floor, and cover similar to [what you would do in an] earthquake,” Ms. Schoenfeld told The Epoch Times.

More Showers

Most areas of Southern California received 1–2 inches of rain, with as much as 3 inches dropping in the mountains and foothills during the state’s latest atmospheric river storm.

“For most of [Los Angeles County], it’s been on the lighter side,” Ms. Schoenfeld said.

The Santa Monica Mountains near the coastal town of Malibu reported receiving up to 7 inches of rain, the highest total in the region, she added.

Malibu announced the closure of one lane on Pacific Coast Highway Monday after a large boulder rolled onto the westbound side just east of Las Flores Canyon Road.

All lanes were open again Tuesday, along with all canyons and other roads, according to the city.

Schools also remained open during the second day of the storm.

A section of the Pacific Coast Highway north of Malibu remained closed from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. as the California Department of Transportation shores up the shoulder of the roadway on the ocean side, damaged in recent storms. The state began nightly closures of the stretch between Sycamore Cove Beach and the Naval Air Station at Point Mugu last week.

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health advised the public to stay away from ocean water near rivers, creeks, and storm drains to avoid any bacteria that might wash into the ocean during the storm.

Sandbags were available to residents throughout the county.

Emergency Declarations

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday that the White House approved California’s request for a presidential major disaster declaration to support residents affected by last month’s storms in San Diego.

Local leaders in Rancho Palos Verdes were also considering asking Mr. Newsom to declare a state of emergency at its next meeting Tuesday night as land continues to shift throughout the seaside community about 30 miles south of downtown Los Angeles.

A state emergency declaration could suspend or waive some state requirements for a project that would slow a landslide in the city’s Portuguese Bend Reserve, located below Del Cerro Park and featuring hiking trails with hills, canyons and rock outcrops.

Rancho Palos Verdes council members will also consider requesting President Joe Biden declare a federal disaster, which could make federal assistance and funding available for the landslide project, a city spokeswoman told The Epoch Times.

Heavy rainfall during the past two winters has caused significant ground movement, according to officials in the coastal city, where homes are built on ancient landslide ruins.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, who represents Rancho Palos Verdes, pleaded for the governor’s help Monday, posting on social media she was seeing land movement in Portuguese Bend get worse by the day.

“We need the governor’s help,” Ms. Hahn posted on X. “I think if the governor came here and saw the buckling streets, homes sinking and cracking apart, and the historic Wayfarers Chapel on the verge of collapsing, he would understand the urgency of this request.”

The director of ministry at Wayfarers Chapel, which closed Feb. 15 after storms caused a landslide nearby, started a fundraiser on GoFundMe. Buy Tuesday afternoon, nearly $23,000 of the chapel’s $250,000 goal was reached.

The “glass chapel,” designed in 1951 by Lloyd Wright, son of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright, is a popular wedding venue for celebrities and other locals.

Next Storm on the Horizon

Southern California should see some warming and sunny skies Thursday and Friday, according to the National Weather Service.

More rain could reach the region by Feb. 24, but most forecast models predict the next storm to arrive Feb. 26, according to Ms. Schoenfeld.

“It’s looking like it’s not a particularly strong precipitation event,” she said.

Most models predict the region will get another half inch of rain in the next storm with few impacts expected, according to the weather service.