Preparations are underway in areas near the Eaton Fire burn zone ahead of the storm as residents in Sierra Madre are under an evacuation warning.
Those evacuation warnings started at 6 a.m. and will be in place through Friday morning.
The warning signs of what could come are already up here on Mountain Trail Avenue.”
Emergency crews say now is the time to prepare and to be ready to go at a moment’s notice.
During the mid-february storms, there was a massive debris and rock flow in little Santa Anita Creek, damaging homes and streets for blocks.
During those storms a few weeks back, evacuation orders and warnings were in place.
The potential for those flows happening again this week is why those evacuation warnings will start again later this morning.
“If a mudflow occurs, public safety and public works personnel will not be able to enter an active debris flow zone. This means that if you stay behind, you may be trapped for days before emergency crews can reach you,” Sierra Madre Fire Chief Brent Bartlett said.
City officials want residents to prepare now before the rain hits.
Free sandbags will be available today from 8a.m. to 4 p.m. at the city yards on East Sierra Madre Boulevard behind the YMCA.
Every household is limited to 25 bags and people will need to show proof of residency.
They will also need to bring their own shovel to scoop the sand into the bags.
Residents can also check the Genasys app for any evacuation warnings.
The city says the zones won’t show on the map until the warnings begin.
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