Updates of SoCal storm: More snow expected in mountains as storm makes its way out
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The powerful winter storm that brought heavy rain and snow to much of Southern California left a trail of destruction in some areas, including dangerous mudslides and flood damage, but now that it's slowly making its way out, major cleanup is underway.
More snow expected in SoCal mountain communities
Residents in Southern California mountain communities are keeping an extra eye out on the roads as the winter storm brings more snow.
A winter storm warning was in effect Thursday morning for parts of Los Angeles County and the San Gabriel Mountains. Moderate to heavy snow was expected in the San Gabriel Mountains, Mount Wilson, Mount Baldy, Writghtwood and the Angeles Crest Highway on Thursday morning.
Between 10 and 20 inches of snow is expected at elevations above 7,000 feet, 5 to 8 inches at elevations between 6,000 and 7,000 feet, 5 inches at elevations between 5,000 and 6,000 feet and up to 3 inches at elevations between 3,000 and 5,000 feet.
Flash flood warning in LA, Ventura counties
The National Weather Service Wednesday evening issued a flash flood warning for parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties through 3 a.m. Thursday. The warning covers cities such as Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Malibu, San Fernando, Glendale and as far east as Arcadia. As the storm moved east, another flash flood warning was issued that covered Inglewood, down to Long Beach and stretching east into the San Gabriel Valley.
A severe thunderstorm warning was also issued for parts of L.A. and Ventura counties that covered several cities such as Thousand Oaks, Fillmore, Castaic, Agua Dulce, Malibu, San Fernando, Montrose, Beverly Hills, Inglewood and Redondo Beach. The warning expired at 8:45 p.m. Wednesday.
Caltrans prepares for possible Grapevine closures
There was a bit of relief for drivers passing through the Grapevine Wednesday morning after multiple days of rain and snow made for dangerous road conditions. Caltrans, however, is preparing for up to 3 inches of snow on the 5 Freeway in Tejon Pass through Thursday morning.
ABC7 monitored road conditions on the 5 Freeway Wednesday and captured light rain falling just past Pyramid Lake. There will be a chance of some rain by Wednesday evening, with about a three-hour period of steady rain and mountain snow, according to forecasters.
The 5 Freeway through the Grapevine remains open but authorities urge drivers to stay alert.
Downed trees topple power poles, electrical wires in Brentwood
Amid a relentless storm that continued to inundate Southern California, massive trees fell over in a Brentwood neighborhood and also took down electrical poles and electrical wires. No injuries were reported.
At the scene of one toppled tree on Bundy Drive, 11 Los Angeles Department of Water and Power vehicles were at the location on Tuesday morning as crews worked to repair the severed power lines.
Farther up the road, near Bundy Drive and Saltair Avenue, another tree fell and blocked vehicle and pedestrian traffic. As a result, some nannies who are employed at homes in the area told ABC7 that they had some difficulty getting to work.
After the massive eucalyptus tree fell, "then all these helicopters came and we knew something was wrong," said a man who lives in the neighborhood. "And it was still raining, so we really didn't want to go out of the house because it was very severe.
"We thought maybe the storm had finished yesterday, but it came up with a vengeance again this morning."
Some of the tree's roots measured as long as 9 feet.
The incident knocked out power to dozens of customers in the area.
Mudslide prompts evacuation of 3 homes in rain-soaked Hacienda Heights, fire department says
Three homes were evacuated in Hacienda Heights on Tuesday morning after a portion of a hillside gave way during an intense storm that has drenched the region. The incident was reported along Gotera Drive around 9:45 a.m. Firefighters arrived at the scene and found a mudslide in the backyard of one house.
During that investigation, a secondary mudslide occurred and "came crashing down into the neighbor's house," said Los Angeles County Fire Department Engineer Christian Reynoso, a spokesman for the agency.
Both of those affected homes were evacuated, along with a third one at the bottom of the hill that was evacuated as a precaution. No injuries were reported.
Pothole-riddled roads delay drivers in Inland Empire
Road closures and potholes were an issue across the Inland Empire Tuesday as the rain continued to douse the region.
In Hesperia, Rock Springs Road - where the pavement crosses over the Mojave River - was closed due to moving water. But that didn't stop some drivers. Some of them were spotted crossing the river anyway, despite the rushing waters.
"On the way to take my wife to work, there's a wash, and they have the road closed, but people drive right around it, and every time, they get stuck in it," said one resident who spoke with Eyewitness News.
Mariposa Road was also closed alongside the 15 Freeway. Further south in Summit Valley, Highway 173 was closed for miles with mud and debris flowing across this road. After days of rain, many of the roads began to crumble, forming potholes.
At the Cajon Summit, rain turned into snow around noon on Tuesday. The snow level dropped quickly, with fresh, heavy snow coming down in places like Crestline and Lake Arrowhead.
Snow also fell in Wrightwood, where resorts are gearing up for the weekend, which they say could be a busy one.
More snow blankets mountain communities
Heavy snow continued to fall in Southern California mountain communities Tuesday as a winter storm warning remained in effect.
The region could see more snow fall through at least Tuesday night, but possibly through Thursday. As much as 3 feet of snow could fall at elevations above 7,000 feet, 20 inches at 6,000 feet and 8 inches at 5,000 feet.
The accumulation of fluffy snow is a welcome sight for resorts in Wrightwood, Running Springs and Big Bear, but driving conditions going up the mountain were precarious with icy roads and low visibility. Chains are required for drivers heading up.
Mountain High Resort on Monday reported that up to 20 inches of fresh snow fell within 24 hours.
Landslide in La Mirada damages backyard
A major landslide in La Mirada caused a retaining wall to collapse, leaving the backyard of a home nearly destroyed.
It happened at a home on La Mirada Boulevard, just north of Rosecrans Avenue.
Video obtained by Eyewitness News showed debris - including bricks, dirt, mud and tree branches - scattered across the street, blocking a portion of the roadway.
A backyard gazebo along with some pieces of outdoor furniture were damaged during the collapse, but crews ran into a bit of trouble with the home's jacuzzi. After the wall collapsed, it was left sitting just on the edge of the hill. Crews spent time working to push the jacuzzi as far back away from the edge to avoid it from falling onto the street.
Crews remained on the scene late Tuesday morning to continue their cleanup efforts.
No injuries were reported.
President Biden pledges federal support for California
President Joe Biden spoke by phone with Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, according to ABC News. The president said he is committed to helping communities impacted by the storms with "any and all federal support requested."
"We'll get any help on the way as soon as you guys request it, so just let me know," Biden told Bass in a telephone call during her late Monday afternoon briefing.
Stranded in the Sepulveda Basin
Firefighters rescued a man who was left stranded in high waters in the Sepulveda Basin just north of Burbank Boulevard. AIR7 HD was flying over the basin when we found the driver, who climbed onto the hood of his vehicle to try to get help.
Dramatic rescue in Pacoima caught on video
A dramatic rescue was captured on video after a man got stuck in the Pacoima Wash Monday while trying to save his dog.
According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, crews responded to several bridges and access points and found the dog, who managed to swim safely to the edge. The dog owner, however, couldn't get out.
LAFD Air Ops lowered a rescuer into the water, who was able to grab the man.
He was hoisted into the aircraft and rushed to a local hospital. His dog was taken to a local shelter for temporary care for minor injuries. It's unclear if the dog owner suffered any injuries.
New flash flood warning for L.A., Ventura counties
A new flash flood warning was issued Monday afternoon, covering a wider area of Los Angeles County and parts of Ventura County.
The warning will remain in effect until 6 p.m. and covers the west central area of L.A. County and southeastern Ventura County. Some areas that will experience flash flooding include Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, North Hollywood, Burbank, Van Nuys, Universal City, Northridge, Griffith Park, Encino, Santa Clarita, Chatsworth, Woodland Hills, Pasadena, Alhambra, Mount Wilson, Agoura Hills, Altadena, Pacoima, Sunland and Sylmar.
The National Weather Service said as of 1 p.m., radars indicated moderate to heavy rainfall moving into much of the area.
Destructive debris flow in Beverly Crest
From damaging mudslides to a gas line issue, the weekend storm left quite a mess for residents in Beverly Glen, Beverly Crest and other surrounding areas.
Fifteen people, including children, in Beverly Crest were displaced after a massive debris flow damaged multiple homes.
Swift water rescues across Inland Empire
Constant, heavy rain washed out roads across the Inland Empire overnight. In San Bernardino County, creeks overflowed and people had to be rescued.
In the Cajon Pass, the driver of a SUV pulling a trailer tried to drive through a road overtaken by water just west of the 15 Freeway around 1 a.m. Monday.
They didn't make it and had to call 911 to be rescued.
"They were screaming for their life. It was by far the scariest moment they said they had ever been in," said Chris Prater with the San Bernardino County Fire Department.
Prater said it was one of the scariest incidents he's ever seen.
"It's not just straight water coming down like you would see in a channel or a swimming pool... It was boulders, trees, lots of debris coming down the hillside that impeded our rescue efforts."
He added the incident checked off every common denominator for a fatal accident.
"These three individuals that were rescued were extremely lucky to make it out of that situation alive."
Later in the morning, crews in Riverside worked to rescue a man in the flooded Santa Ana River under the Van Buren Boulevard overpass.
Flash flood warning issued for Topanga Canyon area
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for Topanga, Lake Sherwood and Glenview. The warning is in effect until 3 p.m.
People are asked to get to higher ground and avoid walking or driving through flooded areas.
A creek that runs along Topanga Canyon Boulevard in the Santa Monica Mountains turned into a raging river Monday, resulting in a mud flow near Robinson Road that trapped cars. Nine people were rescued.
Malibu schools closed
All Malibu schools will be closed Monday due to the severe weather battering the region, according to the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District.
Officials say road closures in the area affected the ability for some staff to get to campuses.
Meanwhile, Santa Monica school will remain open.
Cars trapped on flooded streets in Brentwood
Officials are urging people to stay away from flooded roads after some drivers had to be rescued from flooded streets from in areas like Brentwood.
Several cars became trapped in deep water along San Vicente Boulevard between Montana Avenue and Bundy Drive. Tow trucks were called out to pull the cars out, but more kept trying to drive through.
It was a similar scene over in nearby Westwood at Sunset Boulevard and Stone Canyon Road.
At least three cars were stuck after the street became inundated with deep rainwater.
Topanga Canyon receives 9 inches of rain
An evacuation order was issued for areas along Santa Maria Road north of Topanga Canyon due to high risk of mud and debris flows. The order will remain in effect until 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Meanwhile, evacuation warnings have been issued for several unincorporated parts of L.A. County near the Agua Fire, Bobcat Fire (specifically the north end), Lake Fire and Owen Fire burn scars. See more information on the warnings here.
All evacuation warnings will be in effect starting 10 a.m. Sunday through 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Downtown L.A. received 4.1 inches of rain on Sunday, passing the "daily record of 2.55 (inches) set in 1927," the National Weather Service tweeted.
Mudslide damages 2 homes in Studio City
Evacuations were ordered in the Fryman Canyon area of Studio City as a mudslide damaged two homes, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. So far, no injuries have been reported but mud and debris covered the road.
Sixteen people and a total of nine homes were evacuated.
Just after midnight, LAFD tweeted that three homes were impacted by a debris flow on Boris Drive in the Encino/Tarzana area. Residents in the immediate area were being evacuated.
Angelenos urged to stay home
Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency for eight counties in Southern California - Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Diego and San Luis Obispo counties. The emergency proclamation includes provisions authorizing a California National Guard response if tasked, facilitating unemployment benefits for impacted residents, and making it easier for out-of-state contractors and utilities to repair storm damage.
Due to heavy rain, the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for central and western Los Angeles County that expires at 12:01 a.m. Monday.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass urged Angelenos to stay home Sunday and Monday, and said the city has taken a range of preemptive measures, including placing the city's Emergency Operations Center at Level 2.
Bass and other top city and county officials gathered at a Sunday afternoon news conference, urging the public to stay off roads and to obey all evacuation orders.
LAUSD keeps schools open Monday
Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said the district planned to keep schools open Monday, with the exception of Vinedale Elementary School in Sun Valley. Carvalho added that district officials would continue to monitor the storm, and plans could change later Sunday night.
On Sunday evening, the California State University system announced some local campuses would be closed on Monday. Cal State Los Angeles, Cal State Northridge, Cal State Long Beach and Cal State Fullerton will be holding classes remotely on Monday.
Areas that have seen damaging flooding during past storms are gearing up.
Here's a breakdown of evacuation orders and warnings currently in effect:
Fryman Canyon area of Studio City was ordered to evacuate Sunday.
Ventura County evacuations
Mandatory evacuations were ordered for residents in the unincorporated Ojai area, including Matilija Canyon, North Fork and Camino Cielo.
Evacuation warnings were issued for the following areas:
- Ventura RV Resort
- Community of Foster Park/Camp Chaffee
- Old Creek Road
- Structures on Grada Avenue and Truelo Avenue in unincorporated Camarillo
WATCH: Evacuations issued as storm starts to pummel SoCal
Santa Maria Road evacuations
Officials issued an evacuation order for residents living on Santa Maria Road to Topanga Canyon due to the high risk of mud or debris flows in the area.
Evacuation orders were also issued for the Owen Fire and Agua Fire burn areas.
La Tuna Canyon evacuations
An evacuation warning was upgraded to a mandatory order for residents along La Tuna Canyon Road in Sun Valley. The affected area encompasses Horse Haven to the north, Martindale to the east, Primrose to the south and Ledge to the west.
Several evacuation centers have been established.
Santa Barbara County evacuations
Evacuation orders are in place in several parts of Santa Barbara. Officials are ordering people in those areas to leave by 2 p.m. Sunday.
The evacuation areas include areas along waterways associated with the Thomas, Cave and Alisal burn areas and properties in the vicinity of Sycamore Creek, from Stanwood Drive down to parts of Ninos Drive, in the city of Santa Barbara. The incoming storm has the potential to produce flash flooding, debris flows and landslides.
L.A. County burn scar area evacuations
Evacuation warnings were issued for areas of unincorporated L.A.
Duarte evacuations
An evacuation warning will go into effect for some residents around the Fish Fire burn scar area in Duarte. The order will go into effect at 6 p.m. Sunday for residents on Melcanyon Road between Brookridge Road and Fish Canyon Road.
The warning will be in place through 10 a.m. Tuesday.
How much is it going to rain?
The multiple-day storm could drop 3 to 6 inches of rain in coastal and valley areas, and 6 to 12 inches in the mountains, with much of that downpour occurring in a 24- to 36-hour period between Sunday into Monday, the NWS said.
"Historically, rainfall of this magnitude creates major hydrologic problems in our area and there's no reason to think this won't happen with this event," forecasters said.
The heavy rain will be accompanied by strong winds in many areas, blowing at speeds of 30 to 50 mph in parts of L.A. County, and reaching up to 60 to 80 mph in higher mountain areas and the Golden State (5) Freeway corridor.
A flood watch will be in effect from Sunday afternoon through Tuesday afternoon for Los Angeles County.
"Given the sheer amounts of rainfall expected in the time period, the 3-6 hour rain rates could be problematic, exceeding USGS thresholds which could lead to mud/debris flow issues as well as swift water rescues in the local rivers and streams," the NWS said.
City News Service contributed to this report.
