Ahead of the storm’s arrival, officials in Southern California distributed sandbags, prepositioned rescue swimmers and told residents to have go-bags ready.

The rain has intensified in California, where an atmospheric river is expected to bring heavy downpours, winds and flooding to areas ravaged by wildfires.

Evacuation orders and warnings were issued in areas where hillsides were burned bare by the Palisades Fire, which was the most destructive in LA history, over concerns about potential debris flows during thunderstorms.