The incident happened at Sepulveda Boulevard and Weddington Street around noon.
Police say it appears a tree branch came down on a power line and the man may have been touched by the electrified line or had contact with electrified water. It was not clear if he was walking in the area or in a vehicle before the incident.
The man was transported to a local hospital and police say he was pronounced dead.
The public was temporarily kept away from the immediate area until the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power was able to fix the power line.
Traffic lights in the area were also knocked out, causing traffic jams on Sepulveda, Burbank Boulevard and other streets. Officials said DWP had the lights operating again shortly after 4 p.m.
There are reports of flooded streets, and malfunctioning traffic lights throughout the region as the biggest storm in years hits Southern California.