As the latest storm swept into the Santa Clarita Valley with a fanfare of thunder and lightning, it dumped close to 2 inches of rain in a 24-hour period by mid-afternoon Wednesday.
The storm was a tropical moisture system that developed over the Pacific Ocean. Much of the lightning occurred Tuesday night.
Rainfall measurements recorded in the Newhall Pass showed at least 1.85 inches fell there, Meteorologist Lisa Phillips, of the National Weather Service, said Wednesday.
Although the low-pressure system has since moved through the SCV, pockets of moisture are expected to linger until Friday, she said.
“Saturday is your best day to be sunny,” Phillips said. “Until then, I would expect to see the sun occasionally, in breaks.”
“We had some instability in the atmosphere and, with that, a lot of lightning out over the ocean,” she said.
The National Weather Service issued a storm watch for areas near the Woolsey Fire burn area, noting those areas were at an increased risk for flooding, and mud and debris flows.
Even small amounts of rain may result in significant mud and debris flows, and hazardous conditions may develop with little to no warning.
Roadway flooding is likely, especially in low-lying areas, along with rocks and mud on canyon roads and below steep terrain.
Hasley Canyon Road at Del Valle Road, a site routinely flooded, saw one car disabled as it traveled through the water gathered there.
The advisory issued Tuesday by weather specialists warned: “Do not attempt to cross flowing streams and never drive through flooded roadways. Streets may become flooded and impassible.”
A check with city and county officials about low-lying areas flooding Wednesday revealed no unusual flooding, but a lot of fast-moving water.
“We didn’t have any areas of flooding,” said Steve Frasher, spokesman for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works.
Carrie Lujan, spokeswoman for the city of Santa Clarita, said: “I spoke with our street crews, and they say everything is flowing.
“All of their preventative work has paid off,” she said.
