California atmospheric river’s relentless rains turn burn scars into roaring torrents of mud
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment