FLASH FLOOD WATCHES

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FLASH FLOOD WATCHES CONTINUE FOR SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA
830 AM PST FRI JAN 7 2005

...FLASH FLOOD WATCHES CONTINUE FOR SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA...

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY REMAINS IN EFFECT
UNTIL 4 PM PST TODAY.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR SANTA BARBARA COUNTY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL
4 PM PST SUNDAY...

FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR VENTURA AND LOS ANGELES COUNTIES REMAINS IN
EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM PST SUNDAY...

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT FLASH FLOODING IS POSSIBLE...BUT
NOT IMMINENT...IN THE WATCH AREA. PEOPLE IN THESE AREAS SHOULD
STAY ABREAST OF THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE
IMMEDIATE ACTION IF A WARNING IS ISSUED OR FLOODING IS ENCOUNTERED.

A SERIES OF PACIFIC STORM SYSTEMS WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION
THROUGH SUNDAY. THE FIRST BAND OF HEAVY RAINFALL WAS CROSSING THE
AREA THIS MORNING...WITH HEAVIEST RAIN FOR THE BALANCE OF THE DAY
EXPECTED OVER SANTA BARBARA...VENTURA AND LOS ANGELES COUNTIES. A
SECOND BAND OF RAIN WILL LIKELY IMPACT THE AREA SATURDAY AFTERNOON
THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON. RAINFALL TOTALS FOR THE WEEKEND ARE
FORECAST TO RANGE FROM 3 TO 6 INCHES FOR COASTAL AND VALLEY
AREAS...WITH 5 TO 10 INCHES IN THE FOOTHILLS AND MOUNTAINS...AND
LOCAL TOTALS OF UP TO 15 INCHES ALONG SOME OF THE OROGRAPHICALLY
FAVORED SOUTH FACING SLOPES.

RAINFALL RATES DURING THE PEAK PERIODS OF THE STORM MAY EXCEED ONE
INCH PER HOUR. GIVEN THE LARGE AMOUNTS OF RAIN THAT HAVE ALREADY
FALLEN ACROSS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA DURING THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS...
THE ADDITIONAL EXPECTED RAINFALL HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE SERIOUS
FLOODING PROBLEMS. STORM TOTALS SO FAR FOR THIS STORM HAVE BEEN AS
MUCH AS 2 INCHES OVER THE WESTERN SANTA YNEZ MOUNTAIN RANGE. FLASH
FLOODING IS POSSIBLE ALONG SMALL STREAMS AND IN LOW LYING AREAS.
STREET AND ROADWAY FLOODING IS LIKELY IN THE NORMALLY FLOOD PRONE
AREAS. SIGNIFICANT RISES ARE EXPECTED ON AREA MAINSTEM
RIVERS...INCLUDING THE LOS ANGELES...SAN GABRIEL...SANTA
CLARA...VENTURA...SANTA YNEZ AND SALINAS RIVERS.

MUDSLIDES AND DEBRIS FLOWS WILL BE A SIGNIFICANT THREAT WITH THIS
STORM AS WELL. THE MUDSLIDE POTENTIAL WILL BE HIGHEST IN AND BELOW
THE RECENTLY BURNED AREAS...BUT ALL RESIDENTS LIVING ON OR NEAR
HILLSIDES OR MOUNTAIN SLOPES SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE
MUDSLIDES AND DEBRIS FLOWS.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS...ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO LIVE IN LOW
LYING AREAS...NEAR RIVERS OR STREAMS...OR IN OR BELOW THE RECENTLY
BURNED AREAS ARE URGED TO TAKE THE STEPS NECESSARY AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE TO PROTECT THEIR PROPERTY. PERSONS IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD
REMAIN ALERT AND FOLLOW DIRECTIONS OF EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
OFFICIALS. EVACUATIONS SHOULD BEGIN IMMEDIATELY WITHOUT WAITING FOR
INSTRUCTIONS IF HEAVY FLOWS OF WATER OR MUD ARE OBSERVED.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA SOURCE FOR
THE LATEST INFORMATION ON THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.

$$

FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION...CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/LOSANGELES.

MOYER/GOMBERG


EDIS-01-07-05 0827 PST