A new rain storm is bearing down on California, including fire-ravaged Los Angeles, where residents are bracing for the possibility of mudslides and landslides.

The first storm from the tail end of an atmospheric river brought light to moderate rain throughout the Los Angeles area.

Imagine the Los Angeles River before its metamorphosis into a concrete flood control channel, and Mark Twain’s quip about falling into a California river and coming out “all dusty” might ...