The strongest band of super-storms hit Southern California on Saturday, dumping much-needed rain on the region but also bringing mudslide hazards to communities just before gunfire.
The storm flooded some roads and highways, sending mud and rocks onto some roads and creating treacherous driving conditions.
The weather probably contributed to at least two deaths in northern California and on the Central Coast. But as of Saturday evening, there were no immediate reports of major property damage in southern California, including the burning areas of Altadena, Pacific Palisades and Malibu.
As of Saturday afternoon, the storm had dumped 2 to 3 inches of rain on the greater Los Angeles area, as well as 3 to 6 inches on the hills and mountains. A few spots are 8 inches, said Ariel Cohen, a meteorologist with the weather service’s office in Oxnard.
“This was actually a large storm system. And many people experienced significant impacts, with many reports of flooded roads/highways, rockslides and mudslides,” said Cohen. “What’s key is the extensive preparedness efforts that went on several days before the storm … helped mitigate the impacts — preventing some of the worst impacts of the storm from occurring.”
Scattered demonstrations were expected on Sunday. There remained a small chance of thunderstorms, and the associated risk of strong winds, hail and heavy rain that could produce flash floods anywhere, said the global flood.
Two more storms are on the way – one Monday Monday Tuesday, and another Thursday through Friday. The first storm is expected to bring light to moderate rain, a half-inch to an inch in most areas, but there is a chance for thunderstorms. The potential strength of the storm last week is unclear at this time.
This weekend’s storm marks the tipping point for a week of wet weather that has helped fire danger and improved hazards across the state, but it has also brought dangers.
On the coast of Spial Sur Coast, a five-year-old girl was swept into the sea by waves of approximately 20 meters high before 1 PM Friday in the office of Garrapata State Park, according to the Monterey County Sheriff’s office.
His father tried to save him, but both were swept into the sea as they held hands. The child’s mother also reached both of them and was pulled into the water.
He was able to return to the beach on his own and was treated in hospital for mild hypothermia. But the man was pronounced dead after being pulled out of the water by the California State Park Peacers. The 5-year-old girl remains missing, and search efforts continued Saturday.
The National Weather Service warned people to stay off beaches Friday because of the storm, warning of waves of up to 18 feet that were as high as 23 feet in some areas.
About 10 miles north of Sacramento, a 71-year-old man died Friday after his car was swept away by rushing water as he tried to drive over a flooded bridge in Sutter County.
No deaths were reported in Southern California, but it was a day of tense times.
At least 58 trees were downed in Los Angeles, officials told the National Weather Service. In Sawtelle, a 30-foot ficus tree fell on a Santa Monica blue bus and two other vehicles Friday night, but no one was injured, according to NBC 4.
Flooding covered a lane of traffic on Highway 60 in East La., forcing many vehicles to evacuate.
Up to three feet of water washed out one of the Beach Boulevard off-ramps on the 710 freeway, officials said. In Santa Clarita, rock and river covered all trails in Soledad Canyon and Oak Spring Canyon roads. Nearby, large walls fell on highway 14, blocking traffic lanes.
On the Grapevine portion of the 5 freeway, severe flooding covered the highway and the highway in several areas. All lanes of Mulholland Highway were covered in rocks and debris on Stunt Road, about 4 miles south of Kilabasas. Meanwhile, flooding and mudslides blocked lanes on several roads inside Interstate 101 in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties.
Rocks flooded the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, where runoff blocked motorists and forced road closures.
Crews are installed with Cable Nets and erosion control devices and spent Saturday responding to emergencies, clearing debris with difficult conditions, draining flooded roads to reduce mud rocks and removing any unstable rocks identified on steep slopes. But sidewalks in residential areas became difficult to manage – especially in fire-affected areas that are more prone to erosion.
Paseo Portola Street and many others are said to be full of loose mud, debris and rock chunks scattered across the Santa Monica Mountains.
“I’m sure it’s caused problems for a lot of people,” Malibu resident Adam Gorski said. “It was a problem at first, and of course it gets worse here when it rains.”
In LA County, the areas most at risk for flash mud and debris were the Eaton Scar Scar in Altadena, the Palisades burn scar in the Pacific Palisades, and the bridge burn north of Claremont. Authorities were also watching the line burn north of Highland and the airport burning a scar between Rancho Santa Margarita and Lake Elsinore.
The remaining orders and warnings are expected to expire on Sunday the 8th.
Ahead of the storm, the most likely forecasts for Southern California had moderate and generally slow-moving road flooding, with little debris remaining, with a maximum rainfall rate of around an inch per hour. Debris flows occur when rain on hills carries down mud and other debris.
As of Saturday afternoon, it appeared that La County had experienced a moderate storm surge. Rainfall rates ranged from 0.5 to 0.75 inches per hour, said meteorologist Joe Sirard of the Weather Service’s Oxnard office.
Heavy rain could have created debris flows strong enough to wipe out roads and damage homes and businesses.
The Los Angeles Fire Department of the city’s pre-commissioned emergency response team, including a 22-member strike team and five fire engines patrolling the Pacific Paime Moore area.
The bright spot of the storm is the result of the fire hazard. This and other recent rains have done much to loosen the soil and make it difficult for flowering to begin.
It’s a marked improvement from 2024, when the record dry streak over the fall and winter left crops sore and put down by burning. Those conditions, combined with the illegal Santa Ana Winds, fueled the rapid spread of the Eaton and Palisades fires, the most important among the deadliest and most destructive in California history.
Even the heavy rain didn’t stop volunteers from gathering Saturday morning to begin restoring the beloved community that was first painted by Palisades High School students in the early 1980s.
The mural survived the barrage of fire with minor marks of Sise. But that, combined with decades of sun, salt and air pollution, is making the rest of the emergency, conservationists say.
“For all the destruction, there’s something really good about the community coming together to protect this mural, no matter the weather,” said the executive director of muralcolors, a local art curator.
Volunteers dressed in rain ponchos and high visibility frames used brushes to remove the old protective layer from the mural wall.
Another volunteer, Trepanier from Sara Trepanier, lost her home in the blaze and is still rebuilding. He said efforts like this are commonplace in the area.
“We all take care of each other here,” she said.
The times tell man Marie Sanford contributed to this report.
