'WHOPPER' STORM TO HIT US TODAY.

Byline: Daily News

OXNARD - The biggest storm of the year is expected to smack the Southland this evening, dumping 2 to 4 inches of rain along the coast and as much as 8 inches of rain in the mountains and foothills before tapering off Thursday.

Rainfall rates could reach an inch per hour in some areas, with the threat of mudslides and flooding in areas of eastern Ventura, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties that burned in last fall's wildfires, forecasters said.

``This storm we have coming in is a whopper,'' said meteorologist Tim McClung at the National Weather Service forecast office in Oxnard. ``The rubber is going to meet the road.''

Up to three feet of snow is expected above 7,000 feet, and 20-foot ocean swells are likely to translate into eight- to 12-foot waves.

``It's the storm of the year,'' meteorologist Dave Gomberg said. ``It's got all the different ingredients coming together.''

Burned areas denuded by October wildfires and vulnerable to erosion by heavy rain were expected to be closely watched by emergency crews.

``The first bucket to tip is going to be the burn areas,'' McClung said. ``They're not able to handle the copious amount of rainfall we're forecasting.''

SANDBAG DISTRIBUTION

--Local fire stations have begun distributing sandbags in anticipation of today's storm. In Los Angeles, residents can find their nearest fire station by calling Los Angeles Fire Department public affairs at [phone]. Los Angeles County residents can find station locations by calling [phone].

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SANDBAG DISTRIBUTION (see text)