LOS ANGELES — Following a wave of punishing rains that forced evacuations on the Central Coast and flooded parts of Los Angeles County, Southern California was facing another round of storms Tuesday, with much of the region still under flood, high wind and high surf advisories.
Major highways and several other roads remained closed because of flooding, rockslides and mudslides, and motorists were advised to remain vigilant.
At least 16 people have died in the back-to-back storms that have hit California.
L.A. County, which meteorologists said has received from 2 to 6 inches of rain along the coasts and valleys and about 8 inches in the mountains, could see an additional half-inch to 1 1/2 inches, with more expected at higher elevations.
Meteorologists said Tuesday’s storm, the latest in a series of atmospheric rivers to pound the state, would generate less overall rain — defined more by periods of heavy showers rather than steady rain throughout the day — but could still cause significant issues, including flooding and debris flow as communities reel from the previous day’s extreme weather. Wind gusts of up to 60 mph at the coasts and 70 mph in the mountains were expected, along with dangerously high surf, including waves as high as 15 feet in San Luis Obispo County beaches and Santa Barbara County Central Coast beaches.
Meteorologists also warned Tuesday’s storm could produce brief, weak tornadoes and hail.
“We are definitely not out of the woods yet,” said Rich Thompson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. Conditions should begin clearing up by Tuesday afternoon, weather experts said.
Malibu Canyon is closed in both directions from Civic Center Way to Piuma because of a rock slide and large boulder in the road, and Topanga Canyon is closed in both directions from the Pacific Coast Highway to Mulholland due to rockslides. Malibu’s four public schools switched to remote learning Tuesday, according to the city website.
In Hollywood Hills West, about a quarter-acre of hillside collapsed. No homes appeared threatened, but firefighters are investigating and search and rescue experts were headed to the scene, said Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Erik Scott.
Crews were working to evacuate 17 residents in Studio City who were sheltering in place after 3 to 5 feet of mud and debris flow flooded Fredonia Drive, Scott said. Nearby homes and residents were also affected, although no homes appeared damaged and no injuries have been reported, he said.
In downtown Los Angeles, Union Station was flooded and some commuters had to pick their way through standing water while shuttles carried others.
The U.S. 101 northbound and southbound was closed from Milpas to State Route 33 because of flooding issues, according to the California Highway Patrol. Officials did not provide information on when it would reopen.
Around dawn Tuesday, the Ventura County Fire Department swift water rescue teams and the county’s aviation unit rescued a person who had been trapped on an island in the Ventura River overnight after the person couldn’t be reached for rescue Monday. No injuries were reported, officials said.
Tuesday’s storm was expected to deliver periods of heavy showers, thunderstorms, lightning, strong winds and high surf, according to the National Weather Service.
A stronger, more menacing system passed through Southern California on Monday, forcing the mass evacuation of Montecito and other communities exactly five years after mudslides in the same area left 23 people dead. In addition to Montecito, the evacuation order applied to residents of Toro Canyon, Padaro Lane from Via Real to Santa Claus Lane and Sycamore Canyon, and all campgrounds from Rincon Beach to Gaviota Beach. The Serena Park area also was evacuated because of flooding.
Evacuation orders were still in place Tuesday, and all Santa Barbara County public schools remained closed, according to the county’s website.
Pounding rain wreaked havoc throughout the coastal counties north of Los Angeles, bringing flooding, road closures and tragedy, including the death of a motorist who entered a flooded road and a 5-year-old boy who was missing after being swept away by floodwaters in San Luis Obispo County.
Evacuations ordered in several neighborhoods in Paso Robles and south of the AG Levee remained in place Tuesday.
The storm took aim at L.A. County on Monday night, causing widespread street flooding and trapping some people in cars. Firefighters rescued two people after their vehicle fell into a sinkhole that opened in Chatsworth. Monday’s strong winds even led the Federal Aviation Authority to issue a temporary ground stop at Los Angeles International Airport.
In Ventura County, firefighters rescued a man who was on the roof of his car after it became stuck on a flooded road. Evacuation orders for the Ventura Beach RV Resort; residences on the south side of Creek Road from Camp Comfort to Highway 33; and the community of La Conchita, where a mudslide killed 10 people in January 2005, remained in effect Tuesday, according to VC Emergency’s website.
The National Weather Service called the storm in Southern California “the most impressive” since the one that hit the region Jan. 5-7, 2005.
