A “very dangerous” atmospheric river storm expected to dump rain in Southern California through Christmas and into the weekend prompted evacuation warnings and orders for residents near recent burn areas, including in Orange County.
Some light rain began falling late Tuesday morning, but forecasters said that was just a warm-up for the storm still to come.
Several cities and the OC Fire Authority were making sand and sandbags available.
In Orange County, mandatory evacuation orders will take effect at 8 a.m. Wednesday near the Airport fire burn scar, affecting areas of:
— Trabuco Creek, including the RC Airport, fire station, campground/park and school;
— Bell Canyon, including Starr Ranch; and
— Hot Springs Canyon, including Lazy-W Ranch.
A reception center for displaced OC residents will be opened at the Foothill Ranch Library Program Annex adjacent to the library at 27002 Cabriole Way. The OC Animal Care shelter at 1630 Victory Road in Tustin will be available to care for evacuated residents’ small pets. Large animal owners can contact OC Animal Care at 714-935-6848, or 714-259-1122 after hours, for sheltering options.
Road closures in the Orange County evacuation area will also be in place on Trabuco Canyon Road at Rose Canyon; Plano Trabuco near Robinson Ranch; Grey Rock at Bell Canyon; and Hot Springs Canyon at Ortega Highway.
The most powerful portion of the storm was expected in the area late Tuesday night into Wednesday, with showers continuing into Christmas Day on Thursday, and a second trough pushing into the region Friday into Saturday.
“Anyone traveling on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day will need to exercise extreme caution,” the National Weather Service said. “Make sure to take the proper protective actions before the storm hits.”