Los Angeles officials hold press conference regarding weather conditions
LOS ANGELES (NBC, KYMA) - Los Angeles is expecting several days of rain this weekend and officials are preparing for flooding.
Evacuation warnings have been issued for communities near burn scars including the Eaton Fire area, Palisades, Hurst and Sunset Fire burn zones.
Voluntary evacuations have been issued for Orange County burn scar areas as well.
In those burn scar areas, there is an increased risk of mud and debris flow due to heavy rain.
Flood watches are in effect overnight in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside Counties.
The National Weather Service called this storm "one of the strongest" and warned it comes with "uncertainties."
"What we can say right now is that the most concerning time periods for intense rainfall, including bursts of heavy rain, will be from 1am late tonight through Saturday afternoon. My team at the National Weather Service in LA has issued a Flood Watch in effect for all of Los Angeles County through 10pm on Saturday.
We are already seeing the rain pick up over the area, and expect that to continue on and off through the overnight hours tonight.
However, the character of this weather system is such that many localized spots will have the potential to experience dangerous, life threatening floods, landslides and debris flows. The nature of the system is such that we can't be certain about exactly when and where these impacts will strike until right before they occur at the earliest."
Dr. Ariel Cohen, Meteorologist In Charge, National Weather Service In Los Angeles-Oxnard
Mayor Karen Bass asks for all Los Angelenos to heed officials guidance to evacuate if asked to do so.
"Evacuation orders have been issued for select vulnerable properties within and around recent burn scar areas, beginning at 8pm tonight and through 8am Sunday. So as always, if you have been contacted by the Los Angeles Police Department at an impacted property, please, please, please heed official guidance and evacuate you."
Karen Bass, Mayor of Los Angeles
Most areas of Los Angeles may see two-to-five inches of rainfall, and the heaviest rain was expected overnight Friday into Saturday morning.
