Santa Clarita is facing the last of a rain storm, but not the last of the rain, according to National Weather Service officials.
The National Weather Service had issued a flash flood warning for Santa Clarita until Tuesday morning at 12 a.m.
According to National Weather Service meteorologist Kristen Stewart, in the past 48 hours as of Tuesday, Newhall received 4.92 inches of rain, Canyon Country received 1.85 inches, Valencia received 2.5 inches, Saugus received 1.38 inches, south of Castaic received 4.5 inches and north of Castaic received 8 inches of rain.
“Following the rain event on Monday and into Tuesday, all public roads are currently open,” wrote city of Santa Clarita Communications Specialist Kevis Strauss. “At around 10 a.m. Tuesday, a social media update was posted alerting residents to a downed tree on McBean Parkway south of Decoro Drive that was blocking traffic in both directions. Crews responded to clear the tree and safely direct traffic. Due to water levels and saturation, residents are advised to avoid water crossings in the Sand Canyon and Placerita Canyon areas.”
At 11:25 a.m., Lake Hughes Road at Ridge Route Drive was blocked and reported as closed.
According to the Caltrans Road Information website, northbound traffic on Interstate 5 was reduced to two lanes, 9.7 miles north of Santa Clarita at Templin Highway. This is due to a reported mudslide.
According to the city of Santa Clarita’s “Ready for Rain” website, readyforrain.santa-clarita.com, the city has taken the following precautions to reduce risks to residents and infrastructure in the event of flooding:
- Clearing debris from the streets and installing flood signs.
- Cleaning city-owned storm drains four times a year, monitoring them during storms, and cleaning parkway drains before heavy rain.
- Inspecting all parks and park facilities for potential problems that could arise in heavy rain.
- Identifying spots where damage might occur to trails in heavy rain.
- Maintenance pruning tree canopies.
- Inspecting windshield wipers and emergency lighting on all city vehicles to ensure they are operational.
- Inspecting city facility roof tops and cleaning debris that may obstruct water flow in rain gutters.
- Conducting inspections at construction sites 48 hours before forecasted rain to confirm they are secure for heavy rain.
Residents may also visit the website to read more information on what the city does during a rain event and how to get assistance if they are impacted by the rain. It also includes information on preparedness tips for heavy rains and flooding, city phone numbers to contact for flooding, fallen trees, mudslides, erosion and more rain-related issues and preparedness information for residents living in or near fire burn areas.
After heavy rain, according to “Ready for Rain,” the city takes the following actions:
- City officials are available for inspections of roads, landscape or storm drain concerns in the public right of way.
- City officials may conduct a preliminary safety inspection if your property is adjacent to a landslide to determine if your property or building are safe to occupy.
- City can provide references for licensed soil engineers and civil engineers who can determine the stability of a privately owned slope and recommend repairs.
Santa Clarita is in the Color Alert System’s green level, issued by the Unified Command. The Unified Command is a group of representatives from leading agencies that are responding to emergencies.
The green level certifies that no evacuation orders, no rain-related parking restrictions and no restricted entry to any city/county areas are in effect.
Tuesday afternoon marks the end of the heavy storm, but the rain will not go away. Rain is forecasted to be returning to Santa Clarita late Friday night.
“Definitely will be lighter than this one,” said Stewart. “This will just be a continuous wet period.”
The predicted forecast for Santa Clarita’s rainy weekend by the National Weather Service is as follows:
- Friday night – Slight chance of rain after 10 p.m., mostly cloudy, a low of around 46 degrees.
- Saturday – Rain likely after 4 p.m., mostly cloudy, a high nearing 56 degrees.
- Saturday night – Rain likely before 10 p.m., mostly cloudy, a low of around 45 degrees.
- Sunday – Slight chance of rain, mostly cloudy, a high nearing 56 degrees.
- Sunday night – Chance of rain, mostly cloudy, a low of around 46 degrees.
- Monday – Chance of rain, mostly cloudy, a high nearing 55 degrees.
