Storm dumps record rain on LA, unleashing floodwaters that damage homes and homeless encampments
LOS ANGELES — A storm of historic proportions dumped a record amount of rain over parts of Los Angeles on Monday, sending mud and boulders down hillsides dotted with multimillion-dollar homes while people living in homeless encampments in many parts of the city scrambled for safety.
About 830,000 people statewide were without power Monday afternoon.
The storm was the second one fueled by an atmospheric river to hit the state over the span of days.
Virtually all of Southern California was under flash flood advisories and watches, including the Los Angeles area, where between 5 and 10 inches (12.7 to 25.4 centimeters) of rain had fallen and more was expected, according to the National Weather Service.
So far officials have attributed three deaths to the storm that first hit Northern California. Crews were rescuing people from swift-moving water in various parts of Southern California on Monday.
Among those rescued were two homeless people who spent the night on a small island in the Santa Ana River in San Bernardino, about 55 miles (88.51 kilometers) east of Los Angeles, authorities said.
“They were cold and exhausted from a night out stranded on this little patch of dirt that was in the middle of the river,” said Capt. Nathan Lopez of the San Bernardino County Fire Department. A dog and two cats were also saved.
Near the Hollywood Hills, floodwaters carried mud, rocks and household objects downhill through Studio City, damaging at least two homes, city officials said. Sixteen people were evacuated.
“It looks like a river that’s been here for years,” said Keki Mingus, whose neighbors’ homes were damaged. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
The Los Angeles Fire Department said 1,000 firefighters were contending with 49 debris flows, 130 reports of flooding, half a dozen structure fires and several rescues of motorists stranded in vehicles.
Drake Livingston who lives in the Beverly Crest neighborhood, was watching a movie around midnight when a friend alerted him to flooding.
“We looked outside and there’s a foot-and-a-half of running water, and it starts seeping through the doors,” said Livingston, whose car was found submerged in several feet of mud in the morning.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass urged residents to avoid driving, warning of fallen trees and electrical lines on flooded roadways.
The weather service predicts up to 8 inches (20 centimeters) of rainfall across Southern California’s coastal and valley areas, with 14 inches (35 centimeters) possible in the foothills and mountains over the next two days.
Amid storm conditions about 1 million gallons of untreated sewage was released into the Pacific Ocean. In response, Los Angeles County health officials blocked access to the ocean off popular Cabrillo Beach near the Port of Los Angeles.
Earlier in the day, commuters stepped through several inches of floodwater as they rushed to catch trains at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles.
Most Los Angeles public schools remained open but some districts were closed. The weather also prompted a rare early closure of Disneyland.
Over the weekend, the storm inundated streets and brought down trees and prompted water rescues.
Heavy snow was falling throughout the Sierra Nevada and motorists were urged to avoid mountain roads.
