Evacuation warnings issued for Los Angeles County burn scar areas ahead of New Year storm
Evacuation warnings were issued for Los Angeles County, California for multiple burn scars across the region as an atmospheric river brings in the threat of flash floods and debris flows through New Year’s Day.
Satellite image of Los Angeles, California at 07:50 UTC on December 31, 2025. Credit: NOAA/GOES-19, Zoom Earth, The Watchers
Evacuation Warnings are in effect across wildfire burn scar areas in Los Angeles County, California, as southern California braces for another round of intense rainfall at the end of December 2025.
Nine burn scar areas are under evacuation warnings, beginning on December 31 at 11:00 local time (LT), including a large area of Malibu that was scorched by the historic Palisades fire one year ago.
The Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management, advised residents to remain ready to leave at short notice if conditions worsen overnight into January 1, 2026.
Post-fire zones under the warning include areas across foothill communities from Malibu to Altadena that were affected by the Palisades Fire, Eaton Fire, Kenneth Fire, Canyon Fire and Hurst Fire areas. These burn scar areas could see flash floods and rapid debris flow as the rainfall sweeps across the region.
Precipitation totals from December 31 to January 1 are forecast to reach 50–100 mm (2–4 inches) in coastal and valley areas, with over 125 mm (5 inches) being forecast in the San Gabriel Mountains.
The warnings come after the major atmospheric river brought heavy rainfall and flooding across southern California through Christmas, leaving the soil saturated and highly susceptible to flash flood even in areas with low rainfall.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued multiple flood watches across Southern and Central California from Wednesday evening through Thursday evening.
Areas under watch include Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Kern counties, covering coastal zones, inland valleys, mountains, and desert slopes.
Read more:
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
Commenting rules and guidelines
We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules.