More storms are lined up to give O.C. a soaking, forecasters say
A series of storms expected to pound Orange County over the next several days could bring dangerous surf and more than 4 inches of rain to coastal areas by early next week, forecasters said Thursday.
The first storm hit Wednesday evening and lasted into Thursday, snarling traffic for morning commuters and contributing to several spinouts and crashes on streets and freeways, authorities said.
The storm, which brought nearly three-quarters of an inch of rain to coastal areas, made way to scattered clouds and sunshine Thursday afternoon.
But don’t stash your umbrellas away, because more rain is on the way, forecasters said.
A storm expected to arrive Thursday night and last through Friday night will bring an inch to 11/2 inches of rain to coastal Orange County, said Derek Schroeter, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
A third storm, expected to be the strongest, will move in Sunday and last through Monday or early Tuesday, Schroeter said. It could dump more than 2 inches of rain along the coast, he said.
The storms also could bring dangerous beach conditions to Orange County. Surf was expected to build Thursday and increase Friday to 8 to 12 feet, with sets up to 16 feet, according to the National Weather Service.
Forecasters say the storms and strong surf have the potential to cause coastal erosion, flooding and pier damage.
California is on pace to exceed rainfall totals from the winter of 1982-83, the wettest in the state’s recorded history. However, Southern California still has a way to go to get out of its long drought.
“Orange County is in a deficit of 21/2 years worth of precipitation,” Schroeter said. “We need this rain to continue over the next couple of months to put a dent in that.”
Local cities are offering free sandbags to help residents prepare for possible flooding:
•Costa Mesa: Up to 15 sandbags per household can be picked up in the rear parking lot at City Hall, 77 Fair Drive.
•Fountain Valley: Sandbag stations are at the city yard at 17300 Mount Herrmann St. and the Recreation Center and Sports Park at 16210 Brookhurst St.
•Huntington Beach: 20 sandbags per household can be picked up at the city yard at 17371 Gothard St., the Edison Community Center at 21377 Magnolia St. and the fire station at 3831 Warner Ave.
•Laguna Beach: Empty sandbags are available at fire stations, the Act V parking lot at 1900 Laguna Canyon Road and the Aliso Beach east parking lot at 31118 Coast Hwy. Residents can find places to buy sand to fill the bags on the city’s website at lagunabeachcity.net/cityhall/police/emergprep/sandbags.html. Filling the bags with sand from the beach or playgrounds is not permitted.
•Newport Beach: 10 sandbags per household are available between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the city yard at 592 Superior Ave.
•Seal Beach: Sandbags are available at the marine safety headquarters at 888 Ocean Ave., Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach at Seal Beach Boulevard and Landing Avenue, Fire Station 44 at Eighth Street and Central Avenue, Fire Station 48 at 3131 Northgate Road, Arbor Park at 4665 Lampson Ave. and Marina Park at First Street and Marina Avenue.
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