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LOS ANGELES (AP) — California residents have evacuated neighborhoods below hillsides scarred by wildfires as the third — and largest — in the latest series of storms brings powerful rain and warnings about flash flooding and possible mudslides.
The National Weather Service says the system is gaining strength and could be the strongest in at least seven years. Flash flood watches and warnings are in effect for swaths of greater Los Angeles, where mountain areas could see more than 2 inches of rain.
Evacuations are ordered near wildfire burn areas in Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and Orange counties. Officials say potential debris flows could restrict access for emergency responders.
To the north, a band of strong thunderstorms is moving through the San Francisco Bay Area and heavy snow is expected in the Sierra Nevada.
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