California atmospheric river’s relentless rains turn burn scars into roaring torrents of mud

Previous atmospheric river events have flooded Northern California, but according to the FOX Forecast Center, this storm is set to be the strongest for Southern California so far this season.

LOS ANGELES – Torrential rains from a potent atmospheric river soaked nearly the entire state of California Thursday, triggering flash flooding up and down the state and transforming burn scars left from historic wildfires in Southern California into streams of mud.

Video taken from around the burn scar left from the deadly Palisades fire showed roadways becoming mud streams as rainfall rates were estimated to have reached at least an inch per hour. Residents near burn scars in multiple counties had been told to either evacuate or be ready to at a moment's notice as the storm arrived. 

"There is mud and debris everywhere," said Gigi Graciette with FOX 11 Los Angeles as she stood along the city's Sunset Boulevard. "You can see tree branches and excess of metals that we believe what was left of someone’s burned home. This is up and down Sunset Boulevard."

The California Department of Transportation (CALTRANS) closed a portion of the Pacific Coast Highway between Santa Monica and Malibu ahead of the storm, and mudslides and debris flow later poured across the highway.  "Even workers (along PCH) had to scramble to get out of the way there was so much mud and so much debris," Graciette said.

 A Los Angeles Fire Department vehicle with a man inside was swept off the PCH and into the ocean by a debris flow in Malibu. 

"Fortunately, the member was able to exit his vehicle and reach safety with minor injuries," a LAFD public information officer said about the incident. "He was transported to a local hospital as a precaution."

For residents already dealing with the aftermath of the fires, the mudflows were just adding to the woes.

"Seeing these compounding effects of the rain, plus the soot. When you combine that together, it’s not a great combination. It makes it just that much worse," Palisades resident Michael Fanous told FOX 11. "People haven’t been able to go assess their homes… and more damage is sort of affecting their homes as it stands right now."

Other water rescues are reported to have taken place throughout Southern California, but there were no reports of significant injuries from the wet weather event.

"After the fire occurs and there's so much damage and mobile, loose debris, it doesn't take a whole lot of rain to trigger the downward motion down steep terrain of all that debris," said Ariel Cohen with the National Weather Service office in Los Angeles. "It can potentially become a surging, raging torrent of debris in a matter of minutes." 

WIDE SWATH OF US BRACES FOR WEEKEND TRIPLE THREAT OF SEVERE STORMS, FLOODS AND SNOW

The atmospheric river even brought severe thunderstorms to the Los Angeles area with torrential rains, lightning and wind gusts in excess of 60 mph.

According to the FOX Forecast Center, it has been nearly a year since the region had been under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning, as storms generally worked from northwest to southeast across the region.

WEEKEND WINTER STORM TO BRING HEAVY SNOW TO NORTHEAST, SEVERE WEATHER TO SOUTH

Several mobile homes were reported to be damaged northwest of Los Angeles in Ventura County during the severe weather.

NWS meteorologists will likely survey the damage to determine if a weak tornado was the cause of the wind problems.

Storm triggers urban flooding rescues in Northern California

North of San Francisco, rockslides closed parts of US Highway 101 in Marin County late Thursday evening.

Cars were abandoned on the streets in Fresno on Thursday night after significant urban flooding.

San Jose firefighters had to perform a water rescue to reach two people and six dogs who were stranded Thursday night on an island on the Guadalupe River.

The Santa Cruz Sheriff's Office issued an order for some areas east of Watsonville, California, to evacuate immediately due to a threat from runoff just after 8 a.m. local time. Several roads were closed in the area due to flooding.

20-30 VEHICLES COLLIDE IN WHITEOUT CONDITIONS ALONG MAJOR NORTHWEST FREEWAY

Near Dublin, the California Highway Patrol reported two interstate closures due to flooding. Southbound Interstate 680 to Westbound Interstate 580 was closed due to water on the roadway. 

Rain is tapering off Friday for much of the state as the storm pushes off to the east and an extended dry stretch is in the offing for next week. 

Feet of snow across Sierra, ice storm for Pacific Northwest

A winter storm has been unfolding at higher elevations since Wednesday night. A Winter Storm Warning is in place for the Sierra and White mountains through Friday night.

Travel could be difficult through Friday with feet of snow and gusty winds up to 60 mph. Chain controls are in effect for most of the mountain passes, including I-80 to the Nevada state line.

There were whiteout driving conditions on the Donner Summit Pass along Interstate 80 near Truckee, California on Thursday. Conditions briefly halted traffic in both directions.

WINTER STORM BLASTS PACIFIC NORTHWEST, LEADING TO CHAOS ON MULTIPLE HIGHWAYS AROUND PORTLAND

The forecast shows up to 7 feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada by the weekend. 

Mountain snow forecast through Friday.
(FOX Weather)

 

Farther north, more than 1 million people remain under ice storm warnings in Oregon as the system brought more of a winter storm punch to the Portland area. 

Across the West, the storm will wind down on Friday as it treks east, transforming into a winter storm for the eastern U.S.

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