A powerful March storm has been lashing the West Coast with heavy rainfall, gusty winds and snowfall in the mountains –– shifting southward and posing a particular threat to communities scorched by the deadly Los Angeles wildfires from the start of the year.

A strong storm system is expected to “blast through” Los Angeles and Orange County tonight, bringing a heavy dose of rain over a short period of time and prompting evacuation orders, flood warnings and road closures.

Late-winter storms bringing heavy rain, evacuation order and warnings, flood warnings and road closures is in the forecast Wednesday for Los Angeles and Orange counties and is expected to douse the region for the next three days.

Southern California was being pounded by a major storm Thursday morning, bringing evacuation warnings and fears of mudslides.

The storm is expected to dump 1 to 2 inches of rain along the coast and up to 4 inches in the valleys at rates that could cause problems. Some roads will be closed starting Wednesday.

Talk about having nine lives – a cat named Aggie was reunited with her family who thought they had lost her in the Palisades wildfire in Los Angeles in January. Watch the tearful reunion and learn how Aggie is doing.