A major atmospheric-river storm walloping the state with heavy rains, strong winds and major snow has landed in Southern California, bringing what forecasters say is likely to become the region’s\u00a0worst Christmas storm\u00a0in recent memory.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a long-duration event, so we\u2019re going to be having the cumulative effects of rain,\u201d said Ariel Cohen, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Oxnard office. He said there was a high potential for widespread, life-threatening flooding as well as dangerous rock and mudslides, among other risks.<\/p>\n
“It might be best to stay indoors during this event,” Cohen said. “This is a lot of rain that\u2019s going to stack up over multiple days.\u201d<\/p>\n
Although rains are expected to intensify throughout the day Tuesday and into the night, concerns over serious flooding are focused on Wednesday \u2014 Christmas Eve \u2014 as rainfall totals increase, he said. Flooding risks could even stretch through Saturday, as the chance for rain will linger until then.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s going to take less and less rain for there to be more and more impacts as the week progresses,” Cohen said.<\/p>\n