Californians fleeing storms, flooding
LOS ANGELES – The second in a string of powerful storms battered California on Saturday, shutting key highways after water and mud rushed into lanes from bare hillsides in wildfire burn areas where thousands of residents were under evacuation orders.
Flash flood warnings were issued for swaths of Southern California. Forecasters said the system will bring several inches of rain at lower elevations and heavy snow in the mountains.
A wind gust in Santa Barbara County topped 80 mph as the storm moved south and later dropped more than a half-inch of rain in five minutes. Trees and power lines were down across the region.
In the Montecito area of Santa Barbara County, several miles of U.S 101, a vital route between Los Angeles and points north and west, were closed because of flooding.
Elsewhere in the county, evacuations were ordered or recommended for neighborhoods near the scars of several wildfires.
“This is a dangerous situation,” the National Weather Service said, warning that the high rates of rain could send boulders sluicing down denuded hillsides along with the mud and debris.
Rescue crews scrambled Saturday to pluck motorists from cars caught in rising waters, said Mike Eliason, a spokesman for the Santa Barbara County Fire Department. He urged drivers who come upon flooded intersections to find alternate routes.
Multiple accidents were reported on slick highways, including a crash on Interstate 5 that killed a volunteer member of a sheriff ’s search and rescue team and injured several others.
A minivan carrying a family was traveling too fast for the wet conditions, lost control and plowed into members of the team, Los Angeles County fire Capt. Tony Imbrenda said. Nine people were transported to hospitals, including a member of the rescue team who was in critical condition.
“This is a very unfortunate situation that could’ve been avoided,” Imbrenda said, warning motorists to slow down in the rain.
The National Park Service warned visitors to Yosemite National Park of possible road closures and strongly advised drivers to bring tire chains in the event of snow or icy conditions.
Winter storm warnings were in place for the Sierra Nevada along with avalanche warnings on the Nevada side of the range.
The Sierra is already loaded with snow from a series of storms in January. The weather service said areas could see accumulations of up to 10 feet over the next few days.