LOS ANGELES—As El Niño drenches California along the Pacific Coast, people are fearing that mudslides and other problems will ensue, according to the CS Monitor. Factors of El Niño, which is characterized by unusually warm temperatures, are part four storms that are soaking the coast in rain. According to ABC7, Tuesday marked the third of four storms that are expected to hit the region, with another storm arriving in the Los Angeles region shortly after 11 a.m. on Wednesday morning.
Sepulveda Basin, an area located in the San Fernando Valley has flooded, leaving part of the 101 Freeway near Ventura County flooded as well, causing closure since Tuesday morning due to intense rainfall, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported.
Canyon News reached out to the National Weather Service, which was unavailable for comment. According to the NWS website, the flooding is taking place near the area where the Solimar Fire occurred on Christmas Day, bringing in approximately 1.65 inches of rainfall in Ventura County, drenching Santa Anita with an additional 3.58 inches.
Closures include Burbank Boulevard and the 405 freeway, Burbank Boulevard and Havenhurst Avenue, as well as Woodley Avenue and Victory Boulevard.
There is currently no set time when re-openings will resume. One lane on Dulah Avenue near the 101 freeway has re-opened, but due to the closure of all southbound lanes, traffic jams have occurred.
According to the National Weather Service, this is the strongest of El Niño-related storms bringing long-awaited rain to the state that has suffered drought related weather. AccuWeather noted that the 2016 El Niño weather system is tying with the 2007 system to the region.
“The first El Niño-enhanced storms of the year will bring soaking rain and heavy mountain snow before winding down on Friday” states AccuWeather’s Senior Meteorologist Ken Clark. Travel delays are expected on Interstates 5, 8, 10, 15, 40 and 80 because of the weather.
