Southern California Rain Update

The rain  continues to fall in Southern California. At the moment the Los Angeles area is getting a break from the rain, but according to the NWS there is a strong possibility it will start again around 8 p.m.

The California Highway Patrol said there were 527 reported accidents on L.A. streets and freeways between 4 a.m. and noon Tuesday, about double the number on a normal, sunny day.

The Fire Department Swift Water Rescue Teams made water rescues along the Los Angeles River, including a man and his dog.

Parts of the L.A. Basin have been without power since early this morning, mostly in the Watts and Westlake area. The flooding also knocked out power to CalTrans water pumps that keep the 710 freeway dry, so that freeway was closed until noon.

Mudslides have been reported in Orange County, blocking roads. CalTrans had all the roads cleared by noon, but unstable, saturated ground gave way underneath a garage in San Gabriel Valley, collapsing part of the garage.

In San Diego County it continues to rain. It began around 10 a,m, and hasn’t stopped. Already in low-lying areas like Pacific Beach the streets were beginning to flood, with waters creeping up over the curbs in many places.

Although traffic wasn’t stopped on any of the major freeways in San Diego, it was moving slowly, between 35 and 50 MPH.

The rain is expected to continue throughout Southern California until midnight, at least, and the skies are expected to remain cloudy into Wednesday.

This storm won’t do much to mitigate the effects of the four-year drought, but the rain was a welcome sight for those who weren’t adversely affected by it. The NWS is predicting a very powerful El Niño for late fall through early spring, so this storm could be viewed as practice for the long winter ahead.

Click Here for NWS conditions in Los Angeles and here for San Diego.

(Photos By Tim Forkes)

First Report