San Diego County edged closer to drought Tuesday, whipped by fierce and damaging Santa Ana winds that further dried out a region that hasn’t gotten a long, deep soaking of rain since March.

Southern California is bracing for another round of strong, potentially dangerous Santa Ana winds just over a month after a similar wind event helped fuel the Mountain Fire, which scorched nearly 20,000 acres in Ventura County and sent residents scrambling for safety as flames closed in.

A rare "particularly dangerous situation" red flag warning is in effect for much of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties Monday night through Tuesday as powerful Santa Ana winds intensify. Threat level: The National Weather Service and local law enforcement are urging residents to be prepared to evacuate should any wildfires ignite,