STEADY, HEAVY rain has prompted flash flood warnings for Orange County, and especially Garden Grove and Huntington Beach.

UPDATE @ 9:07 p.m. The rain has stopped, at least for  now. According to the National Weather Service, some rain is expected to resume around 1 a.m., evolving into heavier rain later. There’s an 80 percent chance of rain in the area on Monday, decreasing to 20 percent Monday night. Tuesday should be partly cloudy, with mostly sunny skies starting on Wednesday and on into next week.

The emergency shelter established at the Garden Grove Sports Center was closed at 8:10 p.m. Earlier in the afternoon and evening, Magnolia Street in Garden Grove was closed to traffic between Garden Grove Boulevard and Trask Avenue due to flooding.

UPDATE: The Garden Grove Sports and Recreation Center in Garden Grove Park has been opened as an emergency shelter due to the heavy rain. The Community Emergency Response Team is on the site. The Orange County Fire Authority has announced it will provide free sandbags to citizens who live in their service area; the OCFA serves Westminster and has one station in the city.

• There was also a report of patrons being evacuated from the Next Level Sport Complex on Knott Street near Garden Grove Boulevard due to flood waters entering the building. Heavy flooding was also present in the parking lot.

• Storm conditions brought heavy surf of up to eight feet in Huntington Beach. Residents are urged not to swim or surf in coastal waters because runoff from the storm often dumps high levels of bacteria into the sea water for up to three days.

Flash flood warnings have been issued for Orange County on Sunday, with Garden Grove and Huntington Beach among those areas most likely to experience flooding. The National Weather Service in San Diego announced the warning through 5:30 p.m.

The flash flooding warning covers several Orange County cities, including all of the Inland Empire area. Orange County areas considered in danger of floods also included Anaheim, Irvine, Orange, Costa Mesa and Fullerton.

Rain is falling at a rate of one half-inch to three-quarters of an inch per hour. Saturated soils are considered at risk of resulting in “rapid intense” urban and small stream flooding which pose a danger to vehicles and properties in low-lying areas.

Residents are cautioned to:

• have a plan to move to higher ground
• act quickly to preserve life
• know that water is deeper than it appears on roadways and will be moving swiftly
• when approaching a flooded area, turn around, don’t proceed.

The rain is expected to continue into Monday, then lighten a bit on Tuesday.