Sodden Slopes Raise Concerns

Emergency crews and residents of the San Bernardino Mountains’ burn areas remained on alert for flash floods and mudslides Sunday, even as the sun shined on the sodden slopes between cloudbursts.

The National Weather Service’s flash-flood warnings remained in effect for the burn zone through Sunday evening. Heavy snow showers were experienced in the mountains, where storm warnings were issued for elevations above 5,500 feet.

County officials said there were few problems Sunday, partly because residents had taken precautions, such as installing sandbags, to protect their property during earlier storms and those measures were still in place.

Minor street flooding was reported near Devore, where Christmas Day flash floods killed two people.

Repeated rockslides also forced crews to close Lytle Creek Road. No property damage was reported.

Mountain areas in Los Angeles and Ventura counties were kept on flash-flood watch through early this morning. Another storm is expected to move into the area late Tuesday night.

“We’re looking at just a 36-hour break between the storm systems,” said Bruce Rockwell, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

“This next one could be as heavy or heavier as the one that just went through.”