ORANGE COUNTY, CA — Orange County canyon residents were strongly encouraged by authorities to prepare for evacuation, as a major winter storm expected to hit southern California Monday night brings flash flood warnings and wind advisories across the Southland.
A Voluntary Evacuation Warning for Silverado Canyon, Williams Canyon and Modjeska Canyon — all located in the Bond Fire burn area — was issued Monday afternoon due to possible flash floods along or near the burn scar, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department reported.
The order comes after the National Weather Service put a Flash Flood Watch in place for the burn scar area from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday. The Voluntary Evacuation Warning is expected to remain in place through the Flash Flood Watch.
All canyon residents were “strongly encouraged” by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department to prepare their belongings and evacuate to a nearby shelter, especially those with disabilities, access and/or functional needs and canyon residents with large animals.
Orange County canyon residents with disabilities or other functional needs who need help evacuating are asked to call the OCSD’s dispatch at (714)-647-7000.
A Care and Reception Center opens after 4 p.m. at the Lake Forest Sports Park, located at 2800 Rancho Parkway, Lake Forest. Meeting Room A will be available for residents to wait out the storm, and county reception center staff will be onsite to offer help, authorities said.
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Additionally, the American Red Cross will provide overnight, congregate shelter to residents unable to return to their homes. The shelter will have COVID-19 safety protocols in place, so don’t forget to bring a mask and keep six feet of distance between you and the people around you.
RV and motorhome parking is also available, the OCSD said, but there are no electrical or gas hookups.