LOS ANGELES – The City of Los Angeles continues to respond urgently to the storm and drive recovery efforts. Emergency crews are responding to multiple reports of mud and debris flows, power outages, fallen trees and other obstructions in the roadway.
Per the National Weather Service, light rain is expected this evening, Wednesday potentially between 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM. Stronger showers are anticipated between 8:00 PM and 10:00 PM with the possibility of thunderstorms, strong winds and flash flooding. Angelenos are encouraged to stay off the roads and stay vigilant this evening, Wednesday, during the anticipated rain. The next storm update will be a mid-morning paper release on Thursday. Local weather updates provided by the National Weather Service can be found here.
Visit emergency.lacity.gov for up-to-date information.
Here is the latest information regarding the City’s response:
Evacuation Order for La Tuna Canyon Rd Lifted:
The City of Los Angeles lifted its evacuation order Tuesday for La Tuna Canyon Road – located roughly within the area bounded by Horse Haven St. to the North, Martindale Ave. to the East, Penrose St. to the South and Ledge Ave. to the West. The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), Bureau of Engineering, Department of Sanitation, Street Services, SoCal Gas, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and the Los Angeles Police Department conducted inspections which concluded today. There is currently no immediate threat of mudslide, debris flow or other significant impacts.
On Saturday, out of an abundance of caution, the City issued an Evacuation Warning ahead of the storm in light of an increased risk of significant flooding, mudslides, and sediment flow because of the burn scars left by the Land Fire that occurred in 2022. Angelenos are urged to remain vigilant and stay informed during continued storm impacts.
The road closures along La Tuna Canyon Road established in support of the evacuation are no longer in effect as of Tuesday.
Flooding:
In advance of the storm, LAFD added additional teams for swift water rescue, community emergency response (CERT), urban search and rescue, hand crews, tractor companies, helicopter pilots, command staff, and 9-1-1 dispatchers to assist the 1,000 firefighters already on duty. Over the course of the storm, firefighters assisted approximately 50 motorists stranded in water to safety and LAFD Swift Water Teams performed 5 rescues. The LAFD will continue to maintain an augmented resource deployment until the storm passes.
Mud & Debris Flows:
City agencies are responding to numerous reports of mudslides and debris flows particularly along canyon roads and hillsides. Commuters are advised to avoid driving on canyon roads.
Reported impacts as of 5:00 PM, February 7:
562 mudslides
15 buildings have been red tagged (no entry)
31 buildings yellow tagged (possession collection only)
There are significant mudslides and washouts near the 8600-8700 block of Mulholland Drive between Bowmont Drive to Skyline Drive due to the heavy rain in Los Angeles over the past several days.
City departments continue with an all hands-on-deck approach: Building and Safety Inspectors continue assessment of the homes near the affected areas, and the Bureau of Engineering team has assessed the need for restoration of slope stability and have begun design work to reconstruct the affected hillsides. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has relocated a power pole in the affected area to a nearby location on the hillside. No customers will experience an outage during this relocation work. Additionally, firefighters arrived on-scene to a house near the impacts of the mudslide on the 8600 block of Edwin Drive to ensure safety and verified that there is currently no immediate risk to the residents.
Power Outages:
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has reported that as of 5:00 PM. Wednesday, approximately 1,412 customers remain without power. Due to crews working around the clock, 82,246 have had their power restored since the start of the storm.
Currently, communities who remain without power are portions of: Mid-Wilshire, Westlake, Fairfax, Brentwood, Beverly Grove, Cypress Park, Central-Alameda, Watts, Hollywood Hills, Beverly Crest and San Pedro, in the metro area and portions of Studio City and Sherman Oaks in the San Fernando Valley.
Outages caused by fallen trees can take additional time to restore, as the tree limbs need to be cleared before work can begin on fixing the power structures. Other complications include flooding in multiple underground vaults which need to be located and then pumped out before repairs can take place. Several of the outages began today and could be a result of continued flooding conditions into underground electric vaults, saturated soil and wind conditions, while others are older outages with complex repairs that continue. Storms also increase the likelihood of downed or damaged wires. Never approach or touch any wire that is down or dangling and immediately report it by calling 9-1-1.
Stormwater Capture:
In collaboration with LA County Flood Control and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, more than 7 billion gallons of stormwater has been captured in Los Angeles alone since the beginning of Sunday’s storm event, which will serve more than 86,000 households.
Public Works Storm Response:
Since 4:00 PM, bureaus with the Department of Public Works have reported the following operations and calls for service.
527 fallen trees and branches
1,009 reports of potholes
1,332 catch basins and stormwater conveyance systems cleared
Augmented Winter Shelter Operations:
The City, County and Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) activated 6 additional shelters for people experiencing homelessness, in addition to the 7 previously established winter shelters.
Shelter space is available at:
Los Angeles
Enterprise Park
13055 Clovis Ave, Los Angeles 90059 – (424) 345-2236
If in need of transportation, consider saving time by requesting through 211LA.org. Angelenos can also call 2-1-1 to request transportation. The City also authorized additional hotel vouchers.
Traffic Impacts & Road Closures:
Since 10:00 AM on Sunday, LAPD has reported a total of 524 traffic calls with 211 calls requiring medical response. Zero traffic fatalities have been reported.
Mulholland Drive is closed between Skyline Drive and Bowmont Drive. Drivers are advised to avoid canyon roads:
The highest likelihood of mud and debris flows are on hillsides and canyons which can lead to impassable roads.
Drivers are advised to avoid these areas which are at heightened risk of mudslides and sudden closures.
Sepulveda Basin road closures due to flooding:
Burbank Blvd. is closed between the 405 FWY and Balboa Blvd.
Woodley Ave. is closed between Burbank and Victory
Hayvenhurst Ave. and Burbank Blvd.
Additional closures due to flooding or debris:
I-5 FWY S to 110 South Interchange is closed
Los Angeles Zoo Impacts
The Zoo reopened to the public today, Wednesday February 7 and will observe standard hours tomorrow.
School Impacts:
All schools will be open on Thursday, February 8. Please stay tuned for any further updates on LAUSD.org, on social media @LASchools, on KLCS-TV.
Metro Updates:
LA Metro continues to provide its vital service during this storm. The agency is reporting minor delays and bus detours due to localized street flooding, but has quickly recovered from any challenges thanks to extensive pre-storm preparation.
Please check Metro’s X social media channel for real-time updates on service. People are also invited to call (323) GO-METRO (323) 466-3876 for more information.
The Los Angeles Emergency Operations Center has been activated to a Level 2 since 8:00 AM on Sunday, February 4 to respond to the severe weather event currently impacting Los Angeles and surrounding areas. A Level 2 activation is a strongly enhanced level of operation in which every necessary agency staffs the Emergency Operations Center around the clock.