Second Atmospheric River Storm Brings Heavy Rain, Flooding and Mudslides to Southern California

An aerial view of the Los Angeles River swollen by storm runoff as a powerful long-duration atmospheric river storm, the second in less than a week, continues to impact Southern California in Los Angeles on Feb. 5, 2024. Mario Tama / Getty Images

Why you can trust us

Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions.

The powerful atmospheric river storm that arrived in California on Sunday continued to bring heavy rain, flooding and mudslides to the southern parts of the state Monday.

Parts of California and Arizona were under high wind, flood and winter storm warnings yesterday, with residents encouraged to limit driving, authorities said, as Reuters reported.

The storm dumped a record amount of rainfall on Los Angeles, with more than 10 inches since Sunday, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.

“We’re talking about one of the wettest storm systems to impact the greater Los Angeles area,” said Ariel Cohen, NWS chief meteorologist in Los Angeles, as reported by The Guardian. “Going back to the 1870s, this is one of the top three.”

The campus of the University of California, Los Angeles, saw almost a foot of rain in a 24-hour period.

Meteorologists said flooding and dangerous landslides remained a concern with the ground still saturated from the deluge.

The NWS forecast for the Los Angeles and Oxnard area called for a continuation of rain, mountain snow and the potential for thunderstorms through Tuesday evening, with showers lingering through Friday.

“Snow levels will lower each day with mountain snow issues increasing,” the NWS forecast warned. “The tail end of the atmospheric river that has been plaguing the area is over the eastern portion of LA county. The unstable airmass is now over the counties to the west of LA county and steadier rain will be replaced by more showery conditions.”

President Joe Biden offered federal aid to Mayor of Los Angeles Karen Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom for hard-hit areas, the White House said, as Reuters reported.

At least 130 incidents related to flooding had been reported as of Monday morning, Kristin Crowley, LA’s fire chief, said.

One man had to be rescued by a helicopter belonging to the fire department after he jumped into the concrete Pacoima Wash flood channel to save his dog, according to fire department officials. Both the man and the dog made it to safety.

The heavy rain and snow were part of an atmospheric river storm system — a current of dense moisture brought inland from the Pacific. Both the more recent storm and another that affected the region on Wednesday and Thursday of last week were the type of atmospheric river storm called a “Pineapple Express” — so named because it originates in Hawaii’s subtropical waters.

On Sunday, winds of up to 75 miles an hour brought down utility lines and trees on the state’s central coast and the San Francisco area, leaving roughly 875,000 residences without power.

At least three people were killed by falling trees during the storm.

Two landslides came together in the Beverly Crest neighborhood, inundating it with mud, reported The Guardian. Meanwhile, a “whole hillside” was brought down in the Hollywood Hills.

“I was driving up here last night, right after the Grammys, and coincidentally, my neighbor, who was in this SUV behind us, was being dropped off at his house, and the driver’s coming down the hill, and the mud is chasing the driver,” said Jeb Johenning, a resident of Beverly Hills, as Reuters reported.

Flooding continued to be a danger, as dozens of people were rescued across the state, mostly from their cars, said Governor’s Office of Emergency Services spokesperson Brian Ferguson.

Ferguson said several neighborhoods with an especially high risk of mudslides and flash flooding were evacuated.

“We’re not out of the woods yet. There could continue [to] be very dangerous impacts all through Southern California today and tomorrow,” Ferguson warned.

Subscribe to get exclusive updates in our daily newsletter!