US: Forecast rain brings risk of mudslides in California November 21-24

Event

Two storms are forecast to affect California beginning Wednesday, November 21, and lasting until Saturday, November 24, raising concerns of mudslides in areas previously burned by wildfires this year. Up to 15 cm (6 in) of rain may fall across the state from Wednesday through Saturday. While the rain may assist firefighting efforts against the ongoing Camp Fire in Butte county, it also increases the chance of mudslides due to a lack of vegetation and loose soil. This threat is not contained to areas affected by actively burning fires but also where wildfires burned earlier this year, including the Mendocino Complex Fire (Mendocino, Lake, Colusa, Glenn counties), Carr Fire (Shasta county), Camp Fire (Butte county), Woolsey Fire (Ventura, Los Angeles counties), Ferguson (Mariposa county), County Fire (Lake, Napa, Yolo counties), and Delta and Hirz fires (Shasta county). Mudslides are most likely in canyons and mudslides and may cause damages to buildings and roads, resulting in traffic disruptions.

Context

California is currently experiencing its most destructive fire season on record. As of November 11, 7579 fires have burned roughly 675,000 hectares (1,668,000 acres).

Advice

Individuals in California are advised to monitor local weather reports, anticipate transportation disruptions, and avoid low-lying areas near burned regions due to the risk of mudslides.