CNN
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California is bracing for a stronger and longer-lasting atmospheric river event this weekend, which is expected to bring mudslides, damaging winds, and heavy mountain snow and has already triggered flood watches for nearly 40 million people.
The Weather Prediction Center has issued a rare Level 4 of 4 risk of excessive rainfall for Santa Barbara and Oxnard on Sunday. A more widespread Level 3 risk exists for much of coastal California, including San Francisco down through Los Angeles.
It’s hard to emphasize how big of a deal and how rare a Level 4 “high risk” area is. They are issued on fewer than 4% of days per year on average, but are responsible for more than 80% of all flood-related damage and 39% of all flood-related deaths.
As of Saturday afternoon, more than 8,500 members of multiple public safety organizations have been mobilized in preparation for the extreme weather, Nancy Ward, director of the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, said in a news conference on Saturday.
More than 7 million sandbags have been prepared and plenty of rescue equipment is on standby, Ward added.
Parts of the central and southern coastline of the state are expected to see the most significant amounts of rain and flooding, according to Eric Schoening with the National Weather Service. This includes the Los Angeles and San Diego metro areas.
“This damaging flooding will be a threat to lives and property,” Schoening said.
The worst of the storm will fall between Sunday and Tuesday, according to the service.
Governor Gavin Newsom activated the state’s emergency operation center, which will be running 24 hours a day, according to Ward.
Rainfall is expected to begin as early as late Saturday night for central portions of coastal California where a few inches of rain by early Sunday morning may lead to flooding.
The prediction center cautioned at least 8 inches of rain is possible in less than 24 hours for portions of the Transverse Ranges in Southern California, with maximum totals just over 10 inches possible in locations where storms repeatedly occur in a short period of time.
In central and southern California, widespread rainfall totals of 3 to 6 inches are expected – more than a month’s worth of rain for most. Los Angeles averages 2.99 inches of rain in February – their wettest month of the year on average. In the mountains and foothills of Southern California the weather service is forecasting up to a foot of rain.
On Saturday morning, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office issued evacuation orders for some communities, along with warnings and advisories about the incoming weather.
The orders, which are in place in anticipation of impacts related to the rain forecast for the weekend, will be in place from 5 p.m. local time Saturday until 5 p.m. Sunday, according to a release from the sheriff’s office.
The sheriff’s office also warned residents of the potential for landslides or debris flows, which may be caused by the amount of anticipated rain.
Later in the day, the Santa Barbara Office of Emergency Management also issued mandatory evacuation orders for parts of the city, citing “life-threatening” floods….
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