With rains coming, mudslide fears in Orange County fire zone

The National Weather Service issued a special weather statement this morning warning of several storm systems expected to hit Southern California with rain beginning early next week. And that forecast is particularly concerning in the fire burn areas.

Not even a week after the Freeway Complex fire burned thousands of acres in northern Orange County and surrounding areas, Yorba Linda officials warned residents that neighborhoods near the burned hillsides were at risk of serious mudslides.

The fire, which destroyed 118 Yorba Linda homes, burned off nearly all of the vegetation on the hillsides north of the city into Chino Hills State Park, officials said. If the rain predicted for next week is heavy, it could cause water, mud, boulders and other debris to course down into residential areas.

"While our city is already in the process of cleaning up, we must address another critical issue immediately," said Yorba Linda Mayor Jim Winder. "These mudflows may result in significant property damage, and even life-threatening emergencies."

Winder warned residents to be prepared to evacuate.

Residents should put sandbags around their property, Winder said; the city will distribute free sandbags to residents. Volunteers will begin moving sandbags to the burned areas today, and city employees will install concrete barriers around the city to redirect any mudflows.

The Weather Service says clouds will begin Monday with rain expected by early Tuesday morning. Sounds as if wet conditions could continue through Thanksgiving and beyond. Here's the statement:

A SERIES OF STORM SYSTEMS IS FORECAST TO IMPACT THE AREA NEXT WEEK ... WITH THE POTENTIAL TO BRING COOLER AND WET CONDITIONS TO SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA. COOLER AND CLOUDY CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY DEVELOP ON MONDAY AHEAD OF THE STORM SYSTEM ... WITH PRECIPITATION POSSIBLY MOVING OVER THE AREA AS EARLY AS MONDAY AFTERNOON OR MONDAY NIGHT. PERIODS OF RAIN SHOULD DEVELOP OVER THE AREA ON TUESDAY ... POSSIBLY CREATING HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS TO THE BURN AREAS OF SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA. RAIN WILL LIKELY CONTINUE AT LEAST THROUGH MID WEEK ... WITH COLDER AIR PUSHING INTO THE AREA BY WEDNESDAY.

Residents in burn areas are urged to keep an eye on the forecasts because heavy rains could produce debris flows.

-- My-Thuan Tran and Shelby Grad

Comments

[ben]

Maybe think twice before building a million dollar McMansion on top of chapperal.
No sympathy from me...

[Chuck Early]

Put down large plastic sheets to divert the water.

[matt]

It's amazing to me that people would pay premium dollars to live in places like this that should have a serious discount for risk. Ditto for places like Galveston that are in the hurricane zone. A given property should be much cheaper even if insured because of the risk to life as well as the potential for uninsurability in the future. As passe as the Northeast is thought to be, it is one of the safest,most stable places in the world.I doubt these houses will ever be worth even close to what they sold for originally. There's one born every minute.

Matt

[Canjac Canjar]

Why do these people keep building (and burning) in the same area? It's pretty irresponsible. Look at at the folks who lost their homes in hurricane Ike. The Feds instructed residents not to build close to the sea anymore and not to expect any government assistance. Yet, Gov. Swarezeneggar is appropriating funds for the vicitms of the fires to rebuild in the same fire prone and muslide prone areas. No wonder California has a budget shortfall. Federal plus state tax dollars being used irresponsibly.

[Sherman Tank]

Way to go California! Keep handing out those permits to build high-density and more condos, and then gee, sit back and wonder why the huge losses. Its a mind blowing no brainer guys.

[donvey lindsey]

donvey lindsey prayes for them