Local cities prepare as major Thanksgiving rainstorm comes for O.C.

With heavy rain in the forecast for the Thanksgiving period as the strongest storm of the season so far rolls into Southern California, local cities are trying to help residents prevent some of the chaos that erupted the last time there was a downpour similar to the one expected to hit Orange County on Wednesday and Thursday.

The National Weather Service forecast for coastal Orange County is for 1 to 2 inches of rain during the storm, with the heaviest rainfall hitting Wednesday afternoon accompanied by winds gusting from 15 to 30 mph.

Wednesday night’s forecast calls for showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms, with more rain Thanksgiving Day, with a chance of thunderstorms.

Several local cities are offering free sandbags to residents to try to head off possible flooding:

• Newport Beach: People with proof of residency can receive up to 10 bags between 7 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday at the city public works yard, 592 Superior Ave. For more information, call (949) 644-3055.

• Laguna Beach: Free filled sandbags are available to residents with ID at the Act V parking lot at 1900 Laguna Canyon Road and the Aliso Beach east parking lot at 31118 S. Coast Hwy., with a limit of 10 per residence. Free unfilled sandbags are available at Laguna Beach’s four fire stations. Bags cannot be filled with sand from Laguna’s beaches or playgrounds.

• Costa Mesa: Free sandbags are available to city residents in the southeast corner of the City Hall parking lot at 77 Fair Drive and at Fire Station No. 4 at 2300 Placentia Ave., with a limit of 15 per household.

• Huntington Beach: A sandbag station is accessible from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, except holidays, at the city yard at 17321 Gothard St. Two others are accessible anytime at the Edison Community Center at 21377 Magnolia St. and the fire station at 3831 Warner Ave. “We provide the sand and the bags and they have to bring their own shovel,” said Huntington Beach facilities maintenance supervisor Kevin Dupras. For more information, call (714) 960-8861.

• Fountain Valley: Self-service sandbag stations are at the city yard at 17300 Mt. Herrmann St. and the sports park at 16210 Brookhurst St. For more information, call (714) 593-4600.

The rain is expected to clear out Friday, followed by partly cloudy skies through Sunday, with a slight chance of showers Saturday.

The cold front, originating in the Gulf of Alaska, will bring a chill Wednesday and Thursday, with high temperatures in the mid- to upper 50s and lows in the mid-40s to around 50. That’s about 15 degrees lower than normal for this time of year, according to David Sweet, a National Weather Service meteorologist. Typically, the region sees temperatures in the low 70s the week of Thanksgiving.

“It’s going to feel like winter,” Sweet said.

Surf forecasts for Wednesday through the weekend call for waves 2 to 5 feet in Huntington Beach, 2 to 4 feet in Newport Beach and 2 to 3 feet in Laguna Beach.

With the heaviest rain expected Wednesday around the time Thanksgiving travelers take to the freeways, those who will be spending time in the car this holiday should plan to leave early and prepare for potentially significant delays on the road, forecasters said. “[It’s] the absolute worst time, of course,” said Kathy Hoxsie, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

Those traveling by air are urged to factor in additional time for traffic congestion and arrive early for their flights.

Heavy rain wreaked havoc in the area in February, when residents along Laguna Canyon Road and at the Alternative Sleeping Location homeless shelter in Laguna Beach were evacuated and floodwater and debris rushed down the canyon, causing part of a flood wall to collapse.

The rain also prompted road closures in Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach and Newport Beach due to flooding.

A couple of months earlier, a combination of heavy rain and high tide flooded some homes on Balboa Island in Newport Beach in December. Wednesday’s high tide for the area is forecast for 6½ feet at 8:47 a.m., according to Surfline.com.

In Costa Mesa, the December storm caused flooding in many parts of the city, and some streets were closed.

The city of Laguna Beach urged people to “prepare your property for rain. Many hillside lots have private terrace drains that convey runoff to a ... city-maintained drainage facility. ... The city advises property owners to keep terrace drains free of any vegetation and debris that might block or divert water, and any cracks or missing sections should be repaired or replaced in order to prevent water from seeping into the ground and destabilizing the hillsides.”

Laguna has had problems with storm water moving through the Laguna Canyon flood channel and splashing up and over the retaining walls, running onto Beach Street between Ocean Avenue and Broadway Street. The city Planning Commission voted in May to reconstruct parts of the flood channel so water runs straight through downtown, letting out at Main Beach.

City officials could not immediately be reached this week for the latest information on the project.

Newport Beach spokeswoman Tara Finnigan said Monday that city staff “started preparing for the rainy season months ago, cleaning storm drains, inspecting catch basins, trimming vegetation, etc.”

“Now, with a storm approaching, they shift from prep to response mode and will have crews working on Wednesday and Thursday to set up temporary pumping and close tide valves where needed,” Finnigan said.

The city of Costa Mesa said maintenance crews have been patrolling potential flooding spots to make sure catch basins are operational and clear of debris.

“Crews are also ready to respond to other weather-related incidents,” the city said. Flooding can be reported to (714) 754-5250.

In Huntington Beach, Pacific Coast Highway between Seapoint Street and Warner Avenue often must be closed during downpours due to flooding. But the California Department of Transportation says there are no plans to make changes to the low-lying portion of the state highway because it would be difficult and potentially detrimental to the environmentally sensitive surroundings.

Los Angeles Times staff writer Hannah Fry contributed to this report.