A powerful winter storm swept into 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.
The storm brought rain, flooding, road closures and tragedy, including the death of a motorist who entered a flooded roadway and the presumed death of a 5-year-old boy who was swept away by floodwaters in San Luis Obispo County.
The storm—expected to move through Los Angeles, Orange and other southern counties through Tuesday—dumped more than 16 inches of rain in some mountain areas and prompted pleas for people to stay indoors.
A storm described as the most impressive since 2005 is expected to hit Southern California. The National Weather Service says the storm should end by Tuesday evening.
A second, weaker round was expected to hit San Luis Obispo County around dawn, Santa Barbara County at mid-morning, Ventura County mid-to-late morning and Los Angeles County in the late morning or early afternoon. The rain should end by Tuesday evening.
The Tuesday morning incursion could dump rain at up to two-tenths of an inch per hour. That’s “not strong enough to cause problems in of themselves but they will not let the standing water subside and flood warnings continue across the area,” the weather service said.
Thunderstorms are likely, especially in San Luis Obispo County and northern Santa Barbara County, which could produce damaging hail and wind gusts, even tornadoes if waterspouts come ashore.
“This is not a day to be out doing anything you don’t have to,” said Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown.
The storm moved into Southern California on Monday night, causing widespread street flooding and trapping some people in cars. Firefighters rescued two people after their cars fell down a sinkhole that opened up in Chatsworth. In Ventura County, firefighters rescued a man who was on the roof of his car after it became stuck on a flooded road.
Normally tame creek beds were transformed into raging torrents. Roads were choked with water and debris and, in one case, a person was seen kayaking down a street swamped by windshield-high water.
1 reply on “Mass evacuations in Montecito as storm pounds L.A. with intense rain, flooding”
Excellent Article. Very informative and disturbing to see how weather patterns are so volatile in areas which usually experience drought warnings. Sad times and sad for our Earth ? ?