Near Los Angeles, the streets of some counties and coastal towns in Southern California were flooded after the arrival of a storm from the Pacific. Ventura County, Santa Barbara County, and northwestern Los Angeles County were all affected with heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, leaving behind floods up to 6 inches high. Port Hueneme, Oxnard and Santa Barbara were some of the cities affected.
Some serious #flooding this morning in #santabarbara #santabarbaraflooding @NWSLosAngeles @weatherchannel pic.twitter.com/4tlyqQbLRk
— VinoCorsa (@PostLoyalty1) December 21, 2023
The National Weather Service (NWS) has warned that the heavy rain will continue through Friday. Locations threatened by the storm are Long Beach, Thousand Oaks, Malibu, Acton, Burbank, Pasadena, Glendale, Torrance, Universal City, North Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Van Nuys, Downtown Los Angeles, Encino, Culver City, Santa Monica, Woodland Hills and Northridge. The NWS also warned of the potential dangers caused by floods, such as landslides or rocks in areas near roads.
Heavy rain and thunderstorms will occur in southern California and southern Arizona through Friday night, with flash flooding and mud/debris flows possible. Gusty winds will also occur, as well as mountain snow above 7000 feet. pic.twitter.com/vPzReHityg
— National Weather Service (@NWS) December 22, 2023
The storm will hit Arizona
The federal agency has also issued an alert to residents of southern Arizona, which could also experience potential dangers from the heavy rainfall. Yuma County, as well as Maricopa and Gila counties, are all under flood warnings due to the predicted storm. The rains could cause rivers and streams to overflow, and the cold will hit the Phoenix metropolitan area.
In fact, the Phoenix NWS delegation published a statement on social media warning citizens who plan to travel for Christmas.
If you are planning on traveling Friday or Saturday, make sure to give yourself plenty of extra time due to possible delays. Monitor https://t.co/8nf9o7MH0p for traffic updates and https://t.co/c7Egt672Vw for the latest forecast information. #azwx #cawx pic.twitter.com/SADneYTvsT
— NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) December 21, 2023
Still, for those planning activities over the weekend, certain leisure facilities such as the Phoenix Zoo will remain open, unless weather conditions become difficult. "If the weather poses a threat to guest safety or their comfort in the trails, we will keep you posted on our website or social media, so keep your eyes on that," a zoo employee said in statements reported by Fox 10.
