Police in the southern California city of Azusa have ordered mandatory evacuations for 1,000 homes because of fears of mudslides.
Residents are laying out sandbags to protect their homes as a powerful rainstorm prepares to drench the drought-stricken US state.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) PHILIP POBLED, RESIDENT OF EVACUATED AREA, SAYING:
"We were forced to leave our house because of the danger - the mountain is going to crumble and fall. And it's going to bury our house, with us, so that's it. We don't know what to do."
Homeowners - just northeast of Los Angeles - were told to leave after earlier rain soaked the mountain slopes, denuded by wildfires last summer.
