Rare storm drenches Los Angeles, prompts flash flood watches and evacuation warnings

A rare storm began rolling through southern California on Monday night, drenching the Los Angeles region with heavy rain and prompting evacuation warnings and flash flood watches.

A rare storm began rolling through southern California on Monday night, drenching the Los Angeles region with heavy rain and prompting evacuation warnings and flash flood watches.

The heaviest rain is expected east of downtown Los Angeles, where 2 to 4 inches are possible in the foothills and San Gabriel Mountains. A flood watch is in effect in the area until 3 p.m. local time on Tuesday.

Evacuation warnings also include homes in the Pacific Palisades, which were scorched in January by one of the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles history.

Ariel Cohen, a lead meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Los Angeles, said at a Monday evening news conference that thunderstorms are possible going into Tuesday afternoon. Tornadoes, flooding, and "debris flows" in areas torched by the January wildfires are also possible, he said.

"The nature of this system is such that we cannot be certain about exactly when and where these impacts will strike," he cautioned.