LOS ANGELES — Following a wave of punishing rains that forced evacuations on the Central Coast and flooded parts of Los Angeles County, Southern California was facing yet another round of storms Tuesday, with much of the region still under flood, high wind and high surf advisories as the threat was far from over.
Major highways and several other roads remained closed because of flooding across L.A. County, and some residents of Studio City sheltered in place because of mud and debris flow that reached 3 to 5 feet deep along a main road, according to officials.
Thunderstorms and strong winds were moving across San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties early Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. Light to moderate rain was hitting Ventura and L.A. counties, with heavier rain, thunderstorms and strong wind gusts predicted by late morning.
L.A. County, which has already received more than a foot of rain since Sunday, could see an additional half-inch to 1½ inches, with more expected in the foothills and mountains.
Meteorologists said Tuesday’s storm, the latest in a series of atmospheric rivers to pound the state, would generate less rain overall but was still likely to cause significant issues, including flooded roads and debris and mud flow in and around recent burn scar areas. Meteorologists also warned it could produce brief, weak tornadoes and hail.
“We are definitely not out of the woods yet,” said Rich Thompson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
A stronger, more menacing system passed through Southern California on Monday, forcing the mass evacuation of Montecito and other communities exactly five years after mudslides in the same area left 23 people dead. In addition to Montecito, the evacuation order applied to residents of Toro Canyon, Padaro Lane from Via Real to Santa Claus Lane and Sycamore Canyon, and all campgrounds from Rincon Beach to Gaviota Beach. The Serena Park area was also evacuated because of flooding.
Evacuation orders remained in place Tuesday, and all Santa Barbara County public schools remained closed, according to the county’s website.
Pounding rain wreaked havoc throughout the coastal counties north of Los Angeles, bringing flooding, road closures and tragedy, including the death of a motorist who entered a flooded road and a 5-year-old boy who was missing after being swept away by floodwaters in San Luis Obispo County.
The storm took aim at L.A. County on Monday night, causing widespread street flooding and trapping some people in cars. Firefighters rescued two people after their cars fell down a sinkhole that opened in Chatsworth. Monday’s strong winds even led the Federal Aviation Authority to issue a temporary ground stop at Los Angeles International Airport.
In Ventura County, firefighters rescued a man who was on the roof of his car after it became stuck on a flooded road. Evacuation orders for the Ventura Beach RV Resort; residences on the south side of Creek Road from Camp Comfort to Highway 33; and the community of La Conchita, where a mudslide killed 10 people in January 2005, remained in effect Tuesday, according to VC Emergency’s website.
The National Weather Service called the storm in Southern California “the most impressive” since the one that hit the region Jan. 5-7, 2005.
