The valley and mountain areas of Kern County could get a lot of rain Tuesday. And thats both wonderful -- and potentially disastrous. Wonderful because, as everyone knows, precipitation is the beginning of the cure for Californias extreme drought. But in fire-scarred areas in Kerns mountain regions, especially the town of Wofford Heights near Isabella Lake, heavy rains raise the potential for mudslides and debris flows. The most important thing right now is to create awareness, said Capt. Tyler Townsend of the Kern County Fire Department. Townsend said the potential threat to the Kern River Valley community is real, but that its impossible to predict how fast the rain will fall and exactly how the fire-scarred landscape will respond. I dont want to cry wolf, he said. The National Weather Services Hanford station is predicting a significant storm to move across Central California on Tuesday continuing into Wednesday night. More than 1 inch of rain is expected in the mountains in the Wofford Heights area, with the heaviest rainfall coming Tuesday afternoon and evening, said NWS Meteorologist Gary Sanger. The rain should begin late morning Tuesday, Sanger said. Were looking for it to taper off during the day on Wednesday. The potential problem was caused by the Way Fire, which burned 4,000 acres of steep terrain above Wofford Heights in August. The burn area includes drainages that discharge toward the Kern River and Isabella Lake. But scores of homes are downstream to the south, east and northeast of the burn area. Wildfire can create hydrophobic soil, which doesnt absorb the water, said Georgiana Armstrong, who heads Kerns Office of Emergency Services. The water tends to run off the soil. That means more water running downslope. Combine that with tons of ash and plant debris no longer anchored to the surface, and a granite soil composition that is already susceptible to water erosion, and there is a chance for conditions to change faster than anyone wants. Much depends on how fast the rain falls, Armstrong said. But its impossible to know exactly what will happen. An inch of rain spread evenly over several hours is ideal. A deluge -- lots of rain in a short span of time -- is exactly what Armstrong and Townsend do not want. Sandbags, available to residents at Wofford Heights Park, can help control smaller flows. But not the big streams. You cant stop it with K-rails, Armstrong said of the temporary barriers often used by Caltrans. People need to be aware, she said. Were getting the word out. The Kern County Sheriffs Office is the lead agency, and if conditions warrant it, officials have the option to recommend evacuation. Armstrong said residents should be prepared ahead of time. Like Townsend, she doesnt want to cry wolf or create unnecessary panic. She just wants people to remain alert. If this starts to happen, I dont need to wait for someone to tell me to go, she said. Always trust your gut. Snow levels are only expected to drop to about 8,000 feet, according to the NWS. Gusty winds across the ridge tops, as well as through and below the passes of the Kern County mountains and desert will make driving more difficult, especially on north-south roads. Isolated thunderstorms, which can cause localized flooding, are possible during the afternoon and evening on Tuesday and again on Wednesday in valley and foothill areas.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Dec 2014 06:06:16 +0000
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