Strongest storm yet could bring flooding, tornadoes, hail and high winds to L.A. area

December 21, 2010 | 2:52 pm

The National Weather Service warned Southern California that the most intense in a series of storms will slam into the region before dawn Wednesday.

[Updated at 3:28 p.m.: L.A. County officials announced "residences in La Canada Flintridge and 85 residences in La Crescenta [would be evacuated] due to the possibility of debris flows resulting from forecasted rain storms in the area."

This storm could bring with it thunderstorms, hail, and even waterspouts and tornadoes along the Southern California coast early Wednesday, forecasters said.

The powerful storm could drop as much as 0.75 to 1.5 inches an hour in places, which could bring flooding not only in foothills and mountains but in neighborhoods all over L.A. County, said Stuart Seto, a specialist for the weather service in Oxnard.

“The ground will be permeated with a lot of rain, and it was a very, slow consistent rain for the past five days,â€