The Latest: No initial reports of flooding, debris flows

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Latest on a storm that has forced evacuations in California (all times local):

6:45 a.m.

Rain from a powerful Pacific storm is falling across areas of central and southern California at risk of mudslides but there are no reports of problems like significant flooding or debris flows.

The storm was being closely watched Wednesday in Santa Barbara County, where a January storm unleashed debris-laden flash floods that ravaged the community of Montecito, killing 21 people.

County spokeswoman Suzanne Grimmesey says debris catch-basins that filled up in January were completely cleared and have so far been fully functioning in the current storm.

Grimmesey says that forecasters expect rainfall to intensify through Wednesday morning.

Many California communities are at risk of storm runoff damage because of large wildfires that have left barren landscapes.

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11:06 p.m.

A powerful Pacific storm is moving across central and southern parts of California, drenching communities previously ravaged by wildfires and mudslides.

Thousands of residents evacuated their homes ahead of the storm while others were waiting it out and hoping for the best.

Late Tuesday, Los Angeles County authorities told thousands more to be ready to evacuate from neighborhoods in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, which have also been badly hit by wildfires.

Many residents in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties have faced repeated evacuations or advisories since December, when a wind-driven fire grew into the largest in recorded state history and destroyed more than 1,000 buildings.

A January storm unleashed mudslides that inundated hundreds of homes in their community of Montecito and killed 21 people.