Weather conditions in California became so bad on Tuesday that the National Weather Service was forced to issue a
rare tornado warning
for south-central San Diego County.
The warning, which was later lifted, included the Chula Vista, El Cajon and National City regions.
Another, weaker storm is expected to hit Southern California later in the week, before sunshine and 60ºF (15ºC) temperatures return to the urban coastline.
But first, there will be more rain.
According to the National Weather Service, as late Tuesday afternoon, moderate to heavy showers were spreading across Ventura and Los Angeles counties.
Urban sections of Los Angeles County and beyond could see 0.25 to 1.5 inches (6.35 to 31.75 mm) more rain overnight, the National Weather Service said.
A brief respite could come Wednesday
before the next storm
, in a chain that began in early February.
Firefighters rescue a woman from a homeless encampment in San Bernardino, California, on February 5, 2024. Associated Press
"Don't let Wednesday morning's lull confuse you, there will be more rain and mountain snow Wednesday afternoon and evening," the Oxnard weather service office said on social media site X.
The Oxnard office stressed that "this system will be able to interact with moisture from the current storm to bring one last band of organized precipitation Wednesday afternoon and evening."
For its part, the weather service's forecast office in San Diego said the third storm will hit San Diego County later Wednesday and will continue to produce rain and possibly mountain snow until at least Thursday.
The current storm, which has dumped the most rain in Southern California history, caused nearly 400 mudslides in the Los Angeles metropolitan area after dropping nearly half of a season's rain in a matter of two days.
Authorities have warned that the threat is not over yet.
Forecasters explained that the storm no longer had the capacity to produce a tornado, even if it briefly turned the city's avenues into rivers.
Workers check the damage after a landslide in Beverly Crest, in Los Angeles, California, on February 6, 2024. Associated Press
Officials expressed relief that, despite its size and intensity, the storm has not claimed lives or caused a major disaster in the Los Angeles area so far.
However, seven deaths were reported in other parts of the state, including one early Tuesday on the border with Mexico, where someone trying to enter the United States
was swept away by the current
in the Tijuana River channel, according to the Office of Customs and Border Protection.
In Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass thanked residents for heeding calls to stay off the streets and urged people to stay home until Tuesday night, when the rain is expected to stop.
"Los Angeles can deal with very big challenges. And if we stay united, we will get ahead," he said.
The intensity of the rainfall could be particularly dangerous because the terrain is already saturated after the passage of consecutive atmospheric rivers that hit the state in less than a week.
A pickup truck lies on rocks on the bank of Cajon Creek near Devore, Calif., Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. Associated Press
Crews
have responded to 383 avalanches
, and seven buildings have been declared uninhabitable, officials said.
Another 10 buildings were marked so residents can go pick up their belongings, but they cannot stay there due to damage.
Bass said
the city does not yet have total numbers of homes damaged
by the storm, noting that the city's shelters are already at capacity.
With information from
NBC News
and
The Associated Press