California cleans up as major storm slams Southwest
California cleans up as major storm slams Southwest
Clean-up begins after heavy rains move through California
CAMARILLO, Calif. Californians cleaned up Saturday from a major storm that soaked the drought-stricken state before moving east to drop rain on the Southwest.
Perhaps the biggest job was in Camarillo, about 50 miles northwest of Los Angeles, where a Friday mudslide besieged houses, making 13 uninhabitable. The debris flowed down a hillside burned by wildfire last year.
Cleanup also was underway in South Los Angeles, where a small -- and rare -- tornado briefly touched down, ripping parts off several roofs and knocking down trees.
The cleanup came as more rain was forecast for coming days, though the National Weather Service said that precipitation shouldn't cause the same amount of damage as the recent storm. All of which would be good news in a state where three years of drought means every inch of rain helps.
Weather experts say many more storms are needed to pull the state out of its current water crisis.
On Saturday, utility crews restored power to nearly everyone who lost it, though roads including a stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway in Ventura County remained closed. In mountains east of Los Angeles, ski resorts welcomed up to a foot of fresh snow.
The storm was powerful enough that in Northern California, which was hit Thursday by up to 8 inches of rain but has been generally dry since, residents of two trailer parks in Redwood City were still bailing floodwaters Saturday.
Meanwhile, north of San Francisco, Sonoma County residents said they were relieved that the Russian River didn't overflow its banks as it has in past storms. The river did reach just above flood stage, but the water quickly receded.
A few low-lying areas of Guerneville did flood, but damage was minimal in a place where, for example, a 2006 flood caused $300 million in damage.
"This is nothing," Judith Eisen, who has lived for 40 years in one of the neighborhoods that flooded.
As the storm traveled east to Arizona, Phoenix and its surrounding suburbs received about a third of an inch of rain overnight, according to the National Weather Service. The northern Arizona city of Flagstaff received roughly half an inch of rain starting around midnight and then snow at around 6 a.m.
The weather service forecast more rain in California starting Sunday in the north and Monday in the south -- and another storm later in the coming week.
In each case, rain from the central coast down to Los Angeles County should total about half an inch, with up to 2 inches in mountains.
As for the risk of flash floods and landslides, "right now, it looks like probably no," weather service meteorologist Scott Sukup said.
Let's keep these people in our thoughts.
I'm glad to hear that yon are safe. I hope everyone keeps the people in California in their thoughts.
The storm is just now arriving in Albuquerque. It started drizzling an hour or so ago. This is going to be great. We need the moisture very badly.
Kav must have done his Rain Dance.
It turned to snow a few minutes after that comment. We got about an inch of snow. The dogs loved it and now have mud on them. No more moisture predicted for today, unfortunately. I figure the snow will be gone by this afternoon.
The snow, a couple of blocks from you Grump, has quit and is starting to melt
Randy - when I left San Diego yesterday at noon, there was constant drizzle. I had stayed in Carlsbad and watched the water/river coursing down the hillside onto the beaches. Course the surfers were loving it, but the local LEOs were asking folks not to drive unless necessary.
Yup, Kav did his rain dance. Naked. Well, he did wear three socks, so it wasn't entirely naked.
Carlsbad, NM? I'm confuseled.
No, Carlsbad, CA - that 's where I stayed all week for the training session at Pendleton.
Hope he didn't forget the one over his head - you know how them rain Gds hate getting scared
3 socks....
Thanks for the clarification. There is a river and there are beaches in Carlsbad, NM, and my poor imagination went nuts.
he he he..