Los Angeles County Public Works says it is coordinating with state and local agencies to guard against possible mud and debris flows in the wake of recent catastrophic wildfires as Southern California gets ready for a rainy weekend.
According to the agency, stormwater capture systems, river channels, and flood control dams are all fully functional, and maintenance teams are ready to send out patrols before the storm.
The Eaton, Palisades, Hurst, Kenneth, Sunset, Lidia, Bridge, and Franklin burn zones are expected to experience a “Phase 1” due to mud and debris, according to the agency’s engineers’ projection. This signals the possibility of small-scale mudslides or debris flows, which usually leads to preventive measures including removing debris basins, installing K-rails, and keeping an eye on the impacted areas.
The agency has 50,000 gravel bags, 700,000 feet of compost socks, and 15,000 k-rails ready for deployment in the Palisades and Eaton fire burn zones, in addition to cleaning up debris from the streets, setting up debris basins in the foothills, and shielding the storm drain system from ash and debris.
In order to protect themselves, residents are urged to prepare ahead of time by creating an emergency plan, keeping cars and trash cans off the road to let storm water to flow freely, and staying inside if they live in a burn area. To learn more, go here or give 1-800-675-HELP (4357) a call.