Rain unleashes mud flows in Studio City, prompts evacuation in Hollywood Hills
STUDIO CITY, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The relentless rain unleashed mud flows onto streets in Studio City and also prompted an evacuation in a Hollywood Hills neighborhood Thursday.
The evacuation was issued after the soil visibly moved underneath a large hillside home that was under construction, officials said.
Los Angeles firefighters and Department of Building and Safety personnel responded about 9:30 a.m. to the 1800 block of North Stanley Avenue, where officials described the situation as "static."
Though no injuries or entrapment were reported, the LAFD said, a "precautionary local evacuation" included five workers from the construction site and residents of homes above and below the hillside. A total of 22 people were affected.
Residences on Nichols Canyon Road, north of Courtney Avenue, were also part of the evacuation.
The pool at a nearby home was drained because officials were worried about the excessive weight. A laser was set up, pointing at the hillside, and it can measure any movement in the earth as little as an inch. If that happens, there would be an alarm to alert firefighters.
Resident Mary Yarber lives underneath the hill and is one of the evacuees.
"I thought that hillside is a lot bigger than my house is, so when the cops knocked on the door and told me to leave, I didn't question them at all. And I had five minutes to grab what I could and head out," she said.
An evacuation center was not immediately established.
Meantime in Studio City, the rain caused mud and debris to flow along Valleycrest Road. Several inches of mud blocked the intersection of Valleycrest Road and Fryman Road.
Fortunately, only one home incurred some water damage. However, residents said they became worried when they saw all the debris rushing down the street.
"I've lived here since 1982, it's never done this, never," described one resident.
Crews were working to clear the mud to give residents a way out of the neighborhood. By Thursday afternoon, crews said the area was deemed stable.
