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Disaster victims of the California’s Tea Wildfires that hit in mid-November and ravaged parts of Southern California now face voluntary and some mandated evacuation oreder from yet another natural disaster–mudslides.

Heavy rains threaten the city of Yorba Linda, birthplace of former President Richard Nixon and home to the Nixon Presidential Library. The voluntary evacuation notice went into effect Tuesday, November 21st due to an impending storm front that threatened to douse the area with more than an inch or rain on the already burned terrain. The National Weather Service forecasted a 60% chance of heavy rains to hit Southern California over the next few days.

Yorba Linda’s assistant city manager David Gruchow said, “Residents are encouraged to remove themselves from these areas until the current rain event has passed,” said D. Grouchow, Yorba Linda’s assistant city manager. Yorba Linda was hit hard by the fires. Over 300 residences were either damaged or destroyed and 30,000 acres were burned in the area.

Many residents have already begun sandbagging their homes and preparing for the worst. The city also placed concrete water barriers to help divert the rains away from neighborhoods and businesses.
The evacuations have affected about 3,400 people in the area. Evacuees can find shelter at the Thomas Lasorda Jr. Field House, 4701 Casa Loma Ave. This site will be open throughout the evacuation process, stated city officials.

About two inches of rain fell in the Yorba Linda area late Tuesday, and early Wednesday morning. A flash flood warning is now in effect. So far, there are only a few minor areas that have experienced any mudslides, and these areas are now contained, but officials are keeping a watchful eye.

Much of Orange County is now under evacuation orders. Rain has been falling at almost one inch per hour in the north Los Angeles County area since dawn, and over 2,000 homes in the Santa Barbara Country area are also under an evacuation order due to the area’s steep slopes that are now stripped of vegetation and vulnerable to the heavy rains.

Road closings are popping up around the area including a portion of the I-5 in San Diego which was closed for nearly three hours after flooding caused several car accidents due to hydroplaning.