FORECAST: Next El Nino storm to hit Southland Wednesday

To the south, persistent wet conditions could put some Los Angeles County communities at risk of flash-flooding along with mud and debris flows, especially in wildfire burn areas.

A day after the National Weather Service announced this year’s El Niño matched the strongest level on record, torrential rains swept into Southern California, causing flooding and mudslides on Tuesday.

Residents Trina Gonzalez, left, and Todd Peterson stockpile sandbags to protect their homes from the rain in Glendora, Calif., Monday, Jan. 4, 2016. On Tuesday, flooding and debris flow were reported in parts of Southern California, shutting down roads.

Hikers walk along a path at the Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area near downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016.

“A parade of strong Pacific storms characteristic of a strong El Niño event will batter the state this week and will likely bring damaging flooding by the time the second storm in the series rolls through on Wednesday”, Jeff Masters, meteorology director of the private Weather Underground said.

LOS ANGELES (AP) – The hillside above the California home of Wayne Socha had held firm against thunderstorms over the past three decades.

The arrival of the El Nino-influenced weather pattern in California comes just as expected, when El Nino’s influence on California weather peaks in January, February and March.

Meanwhile, in the southern part of the state, flash floods are expected to strike areas that were affected by wildfires last summer and fall.

El Nino storms in the early 1980s and late 1990s brought about twice as much rain as normal, Jet Propulsion Laboratory climatologist Bill Patzert said.

Driving rain inthe San Francisco Bay Area during the morning commute, causing almost two dozen crashes, toppling trees and flooding streets and streams. Most dealt with cars in flooded intersections, including instances in which a woman and her dog were pulled to safety and a family of four was rescued from their vehicle as waters swiftly rose. “Los Angeles County officials said they were struggling to secure federal funds for flood control and the removal of debris from the Los Angeles River”, the LA Times said. But they say the man clearly had been decomposing for at least a week and that his death was unrelated to the weather.

Motorists in mountain areas were warned that blizzard conditions with wind gusts reaching 60 miles per hour were possible above 4,000 feet.

He also said that the heavy rain was a danger to drivers on the freeways and a threat to homeless encampments established along the Los Angeles River.

“It’s definitely the biggest rainmaker we’ve had”, Thornton said, adding that another storm would replace it on Wednesday.

Wednesday’s storm system comes a day after more than 2 to 3 inches of rain fell in parts of L.A. and Ventura counties, and downpours broke a record at the Los Angeles International Airport, with 1.42 inches.

Los Angeles Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas said swift-water rescue teams are ready, but he’d rather not deploy them. The service forecast widespread rain and mountain snow. Several major roadways closed temporarily because of a rock slide, crashes and slippery conditions.

California is experiencing a record drought, but authorities have warned that even a line of storms triggered by El Nino will not replenish depleted reservoirs and aquifers.