The high risk of mudslides prompted evacuation orders Thursday for some Los Angeles neighborhoods ravaged by recent wildfires, while snow and ice to the north caused a more than 100-car pileup on a major highway connecting Oregon and Idaho, with injuries reported. Southern California communities prepared ahead of the arrival of the strongest atmospheric river of the season, which brought downpours, strong winds and flooding to much of the state. Meanwhile, first responders were searching every vehicle that was involved in Thursday’s massive pileup near Multnomah Falls, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Portland, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office said on social media. The pileup happened in whiteout conditions in the westbound lanes of Interstate 84, authorities said, noting that an SUV caught fire but its occupants all escaped. The sheriff’s office said there have been reports of injuries and people being trapped in their vehicles. But an Oregon State Police spokesperson, Kyle Kennedy, said in an email that there have been no reported deaths. The West Coast storms are just the latest in a week of bad weather across the U.S. that has snarled traffic, cut power to tens of thousands and canceled classes for children in some states. Too much rain too quickly? Southern California could get as much as 6 inches (about 15 centimeters) of rain in the mountains and 3 inches (nearly 8 centimeters) in coastal areas and valleys before the system moves out Friday, according to Brent Bower, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service. Powerful gusts could bring down trees, cause power outages and delay flights. Ahead of the storm’s arrival, officials distributed sandbags, prepositioned rescue swimmers and told residents to have go-bags ready. “If you can, stay off the roads today, especially this afternoon and evening,” the weather service office for Los Angeles posted Thursday on X. Evacuation orders and warnings were issued in areas where hillsides were burned bare by the Palisades Fire, which was the most destructive in LA history, over concerns about potential debris flows during thunderstorms. Sandbags and temporary concrete barriers were in place across Altadena, where the Eaton Fire destroyed thousands of homes. Lowell Meyer, whose home was spared by the flames, surveyed the storm preparations on Wednesday. “Any rain in California comes with unexpected and unfortunate consequences,” he said. “And Altadena has steep streets, so it makes sense that there should be concerns. … I’m glad to see that people are taking it seriously.” Scorched areas are more at risk of mudslides because vegetation that helps to keep soil anchored has been burned away and loose debris, including ash, soil and rocks. All Malibu schools were closed Thursday, and in Orange County to the south, the Knott’s Berry Farm amusement park shuttered due to the atmospheric river, a long band of water vapor that forms over the ocean and transports moisture from the tropics to northern latitudes. Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with the University of California, Los Angeles, said the area is desperate for rain, but that this storm might bring too much too quickly. The result could be flash flooding and mud flows. Despite recent storms, much of Southern California remains in extreme or severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. In the San Francisco Bay Area, there were power outages, small landslides and inundated roadways. North of the city […]