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A flash flood warning was in effect until 6:30 pm for Central Los Angeles County, which included East Los Angeles, Monterey Park, Huntington Park and Montebello. A cluster of strong thunderstorms over much of East Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley were detected on ABC7's Doppler radar around 4:30 p.m. The storms reportedly produced very heavy rainfall capable of flash flooding with local rainfall rates in excess of 2 inches per hour.
Flash flood warnings were also in effect for Ventura County until 4 p.m. and in parts of L.A. County until 4:45 p.m. Eyewitness News viewers also reported hail in La Canada, Pasadena and Rosemead in the mid afternoon.
Other parts of the region saw scattered rain and lightning strikes throughout the day. Lightning knocked out power to hundreds of people in Long Beach, and power was briefly knocked out to a section of the Metro Blue Line. Twenty buses were sent to shuttle passengers between the Willow, Wardlow and Del Amo stations. The trains were running again by about 8:30 a.m.
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Residents say they are happy to see cooler fall temperatures and rain after weeks of triple-digit heat.
"I like it, it's a change from getting sweaty all day. Plus the kids can stay out later and play," said Chris Stemple of Canyon Country.
In Dana Point, the heaviest rain fell between 8 and 9 a.m. The rain came down so steadily that the drains couldn't keep up, and parts of the city saw flooding.
"My car was almost under water," said Ray Soto of Dana Point. "I opened the door, and (the water) was up to the floor of my car so I had to move it."
A funnel cloud was seen during a Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching fishing trip about a mile off the coast of San Onofre at about 8:30 a.m.
"It's pretty freaky weather down here. When we get a storm, we get it so quick and furious that everybody's like on storm watch," said Donna Kalez of Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching.
In between the heavy downpours, some people also witnessed nature's beauty: A rainbow captured near San Clemente. The cooler temperatures aren't expected to stay long. Sunshine and warmer temperatures return this weekend.
