Rain brings hopes, fears to drought-hit California

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A Pacific storm moved into drought-stricken California on Tuesday, bringing hopes for much-needed moisture but fears of mudflows on wildfire-scarred hillsides.<br /> <br /> Heavy rain began falling overnight in Northern California, while showers in the southern part of the state started after dawn. The strongest downpours were expected later in the day.<br /> <br /> Storm watches were issued for a large swath of the Sierra Nevada, where a huge amount of the state's water supply is normally stored as snowpack. Significant accumulations were predicted but not enough to be a drought buster.<br /> <br /> Any delight over the prospect of beneficial precipitation was tempered by concerns about the threat of debris flows from the many areas of California where wildfires have burned away vegetation that would keep soil stable.<br /> <br /> Residents prepared by placing sandbags to protect properties in the foothill city of Glendora northeast of Los Angeles, where some neighborhoods below steep mountains have long lived with concrete barriers lining streets in hopes of keeping debris flows out of homes.