Los Angeles saw its first rain of the new year this weekend, and it was Southern California’s first serious storm of the season. 

This happened after a record-long eight months without more than an inch of rain, which led to the soil becoming hard and dry, making it unable to accept rain. 

This causes surface runoff, which then can cause major landslides.

With the many areas affected by the fires, the falling rain can cause major issues. Slow rainfall easily absorbs into the soil and helps with the burned grounds. 

Heavy rainfall causes soil to become loose and leads to mud and rock debris to build up, leading to landslides and major flooding. These landslides can cause damage to structures, homes, and businesses.

Flood warnings and watches were issued for areas affected by the Los Angeles fires, like the Palisades and Eaton fire locations.

Over 50,000 sandbags were installed in areas affected to avoid more damage and to help protect homes and buildings.

With more than an inch of rain seen, many of the streets in Pacific Palisades and other affected areas were covered in thick layers of mud and ash, which was helped to be cleared by the Los Angeles Fire Department. Only minor issues were seen from the recent rainfall in the affected areas, but no serious issues were caused.