Burbank was nearly unfazed following an extended storm that soaked parts of the Southland with more than a foot of rain — 6.53 inches in Burbank — with emergency responders saying the city “fared well” during the multiday downpour that caused hundreds of mudslides and flooded streets in other parts of the Los Angeles County.
The squall finally moved out of the region Thursday and allowed the sun to return, but temperatures are expected to remain below normal for several days, according to the National Weather Service.
Just outside of Burbank, however, residents in the La Tuna Canyon Road area north of Hollywood Burbank Airport Monday were ordered to evacuate for at least 24 hours because of the high risk of debris flow triggered by the heavy rain.
At home, Burbank Fire Department responded to 189 calls for service during the storm.
“This amount was not significantly higher than normal,” said Fire Marshal Dave Burke, spokesman for Burbank Fire Department.
Issues caused by felled trees and power lines were also minimal, Burke told the Leader, with just one vehicle reported damaged after a tree branch fell.
Burbank Fire Department did not respond to any injuries related to the storm and was not made aware of any mudslides or landslides in the area.
Alameda Boulevard had one flooding issue reported earlier in the week.
Burke said that the BFD Emergency Management Division prepared for the storm by maintaining contact with the National Weather Service pre-storm to get the latest localized forecasts and potential impacts to the city of Burbank.
“Leading up to the storm, the Emergency Management Division briefed applicable city departments and worked with them to develop augmented staffing and response contingencies during the peak hours of the storm,” Burke said. “City crews worked around the clock during the storm, taking preventative measures as needed to mitigate impacts to the community and the Emergency Management Division provided patrols of known problem areas and provided situation reports throughout the storm.”
All Burbank hiking trails remain closed until further notice, according to a city notice Thursday.
NWS forecasters said some isolated showers and light snow are still possible in the Verdugo mountains, but for the most part it should be dry in the area next week, though temperatures are expected to be “well below normal.”
“It will be chilly the next couple days with some frost/freeze conditions possible,” according to the NWS.
By Sunday, there’s a chance of Santa Ana winds developing in canyon areas as a warming trend continues, likely returning temperatures to a near-normal level by Wednesday, forecasters said.
Long-term, there is a chance of another storm developing by the Presidents’ Day weekend, but those predictions remain uncertain.
First published in the February 10 print issue of the Burbank Leader.
