Evacuation Warning Issued for Properties in Burn Scar Areas In Case of Debris Flows;
13,000 Feet of K-Rail Remain in Place in Pacific Palisades
LOS ANGELES – The National Weather Service (NWS) has forecasted rain and potential thunderstorms through Tuesday, October 14, across the L.A. region. The NWS has also issued a Flood Watch impacting burn scar areas including the Pacific Palisades, Hurst and Sunset burn scars that will go into effect at 8:00 PM tonight, October 13, through Tuesday afternoon, October 14, with peak rainfall anticipated Tuesday morning.
“The City is prepared and we are ready to respond during this storm,” said Mayor Bass. “The City has bolstered the hillsides and vulnerable areas from potential debris flows in recent burn scar areas – these resources remain in place. Today, we have strategically deployed resources for the Palisades and across the city, including strike teams, rescue teams and helicopters. Be cautious on the roads, pick up free sandbags if needed and sign up for emergency alerts at NotifyLA.org. To all Angelenos: stay safe, stay informed and follow official evacuation guidance.”
Evacuation Warning Issued for Burn Scar Areas
The City has issued an Evacuation Warning that will go into effect at 10:00 PM tonight through 6:00 AM Wednesday, October 15, within the Pacific Palisades, Sunset and Hurst burn scar areas to prepare in the case that it is necessary to issue an Evacuation Order. LAPD will be contacting residents at roughly 60 properties that are especially vulnerable to any potential debris flows.
Resources Strategically Deployed
Following the January wildfires, Mayor Bass issued an Emergency Executive Order marshaling City Public Works crews to remove vegetation, install reinforced barriers, shore up hillsides and clear debris from neighborhoods and burn areas. Much of these mitigation measures remain in place throughout Pacific Palisades, including sandbags and 13,000 feet of K-rail.
The City’s Emergency Operations Center was activated this morning and the Mayor’s Office of Public Safety is coordinating with the Emergency Management Department, LAFD, LAPD, L.A. County Public Works, the State of California and relevant City Departments to ensure all personnel are ready to respond as needed to keep Angelenos safe.
The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) is actively monitoring the weather and is ready to respond to any emergency that may occur. LAFD is coordinating with the State of California to augment and pre-deploy resources — including a 22-member strike team, dozers, a 27-member hand crew, a 6-member urban search and rescue team, a 16-member swift water rescue team and helicopters — to help respond to potential debris flows and swift water conditions.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) is ready to respond to any potential power outages and will work around the clock to meet customer demand.
LAHSA has begun conducting outreach to inform Angelenos of the inclement weather and to provide them with safety information and supplies, especially those near waterways and areas prone to flooding, and hotel vouchers have been activated for Angelenos in need.
More than 13,000 feet of K-rail remain in place throughout the Palisades from wet weather earlier this year. Street Services crews are on standby and ready to respond to any impacts to roadways.
L.A. Sanitation has additional staff on standby to monitor the City’s wastewater conveyance system to manage the additional incoming water flow. Crews regularly clean and monitor the 18 debris basins in the Palisades area to ensure the capture of mudflow from the burn scar areas and to allow storm water to flow unobstructed into the storm drain system. Additionally, there will be flood patrol crews deployed throughout the city and in areas vulnerable to flooding.
LADOT and the Bureau of Engineering will continue to monitor known landslide-risk areas that could impact roadway access.
Los Angeles World Airports personnel are ready and available to respond in case of operational impacts. Passengers are encouraged to confirm their flight’s status before they depart for LAX and allow for enough time to travel to and from the airport.
L.A. Recreation and Parks rangers and maintenance staff will be monitoring flood prone park areas and mitigating any debris flows. Recreation and Parks facilities have been pre-identified in the case of any evacuation orders.
Resources For Angelenos
Residents can pick up sand and sandbags at Fire Stations throughout the City if needed, including stations 19, 23, 69, and 71 near Pacific Palisades. Please call your nearest Fire Station beforehand to confirm sand availability.
Call 911 for life-threatening situations. If you see flooding, fallen trees, or other significant damage that isn’t immediately life threatening, report it by calling 311 or visiting https://lacity.gov/myla311.
Assume any downed power lines are electrified and dangerous. In the event of a power outage:
Report power outages at www.ladwp.com/outages or by calling 1-800-DIAL-DWP (1-800-342-5397).
LADWP customers can sign up to receive outage alerts via text or email at www.ladwp.com/outagealert.
LADWP also shares updates on outage restoration progress to affected communities via NextDoor.com.