Residents have had sandbags and K-rails placed for about a week, hoping they will help channel the mudflow if it comes down.
"We're prepared pretty well," said Olivia Brown from La Canada Flintridge.
The foothill communities did not have any major problems when rains came down on Monday, but the concern is that as the Southland gets more rain, the ground will get more saturated, making the soil heavier with water.
"The last time it rained, some of that mud went right over the K-rails. The K-rails are not very high. They're not a dam," said La Crescenta resident Sharron Raghavaachary.
Although many residents are as prepared as they can be, mudslides are unpredictable.
"I can't plan Christmas holidays, you can't plan a thing. Each time, you look at the weather to see how it's going to be, and it just is what it is," Brown said.
Some residents aren't worried about their homes, but the roads.
"We're worried about access, getting in and out of the hill. There's one way in and one way out, and we have several places where the debris or mudflow could go across the street and block us in," Raghavaachary said.
It's become a waiting game to see what Mother Nature will do next, and residents are watching the weather and the hills.
