Latest storm dumps rain, hail, snow on Southern California, so far no mudslides

Storm dumps rain, hail, snow in S. California

LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE, Calif. — The latest Pacific storm that brought heavy rain, hail and snow to Southern California is heading east, but the mudslide threat is not over for communities below wildfire-scarred mountains.

More than 500 homes in La Canada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Acton and two canyons in the Angeles National Forest were under evacuation orders for the second time in a week Tuesday, only three days after a sudden downpour took them by surprise and sent mud and boulders slamming into homes and cars. The evacuations are expected to remain in place through at least Wednesday morning, Los Angeles County fire Inspector Matt Lavesque said. The weather also kept several roads in the San Gabriel Mountains area closed or restricted early Wednesday.

The National Weather Service said at least an inch of rain fell on the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains during the day. Snow levels were expected to drop to as low as 2,500 feet overnight, bringing another round of winter to mountain passes and Southern California ski resorts.

Showers were expected through Wednesday morning, with clearing expected in most areas by afternoon, forecasters said.

Backhoes and dump trucks hurried to clear out the basins designed to steer debris and mud into channels and away from homes.

About 60 to 70 percent of the residents ordered to evacuate complied, sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore said.

“They know what’s at stake,” said Los Angeles County sheriff’s Sgt. Bob Furman, as he took a lap along the mud-crusted streets to clear out stragglers. “They’ve been through this before.”

Officials asked residents to move their vehicles and put away trash cans. During Saturday’s storm, the mud tossed parked cars into each other like bumper cars.

Sheriff’s deputies went door to door, urging people to leave; those who refused signed waivers acknowledging they were aware of the risk.

Maureen Kindred said she was remaining in her home with her son to fight back the mud, as she did over the weekend.

“We literally fought it,” she said, taking a break from shoveling mud from in front of her house before it could block the drain on her porch. “We fought it with buckets and mops and spades and we dug a canal. We did everything we could to keep water from entering the house, and we succeeded.”