Flooding risk continues in Southwest as rain drenches region overnight
Overall, widespread rainfall totals of 0.75 to 1.50 are expected, including San Diego and Phoenix, with some isolated amounts in the region up to 2.5 inches where stronger thunderstorms roam.
Flood threat continues through Friday night in Southwest
Parts of Southern California and Arizona face heavy rain and potential flooding through Friday night. FOX Weather Meteorologist Steve Bender has the forecast.
SAN DIEGO – A strong storm that has brought flooding rains to the Los Angeles area this week has been dumping heavy rain on San Diego and the Desert Southwest on Friday as the system pushes off to the east.
Flood Watches stretched from coastal San Diego across the Inland Empire and southeastern deserts of California into Phoenix and western Arizona on Friday.
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Bands of moderate to heavy rain will continue to spread across through Friday night, increasing from west to east as the storm moves inland. Some stronger cells and thunderstorms embedded in the rain bands could bring periods of heavy rain measuring 0.5-1 inches per hour.
Overall, widespread rainfall totals of 0.75 to 1.50 are expected, including San Diego and Phoenix, with some isolated amounts in the region up to 2.5 inches where stronger thunderstorms roam.
There is a chance some thunderstorms along southern Arizona may turn severe with damaging wind gusts annd large hail.
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Rainfall totals are heavy enough to cause flooding of rivers, creeks and streams, as well as urban flooding in poor drainage areas.
"Holliday ground and air travel may be affected," the National Weather Service in Phoenix warned.
NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center has placed much of the region at a Level 2 out of 4 on their flash flood risk scale, noting forecast models indicate around a 50% chance of the region receiving rain totals typically only experienced every couple of years. For those along the southern California-Arizona border, the storm could bring a once-in-a-decade amount of rainfall.
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Meanwhile, rain was stubbornly lingered in the Los Angeles area earlier Friday where storms flooded roads and homes in Ventura County. Rainfall totals across the Los Angeles metro area reached 2-4 inches with Oxnard climbing near 6 inches. Up in the region’s surrounding mountains, rainfall totals exceeded 10 inches in many spots, topped by nearly 16 inches of rain at Rocky Butte in San Luis Obispo County.
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