Asia-Pacific
Mudslides sweep away cars, assault homes near LA
(Agencies)
Updated: 2010-02-07 10:50
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 Two cars sit damaged by flood waters and mud on Ocean View Boulevard in La Canada Flintridge, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010. [Agencies] |
At least 30 of the damaged homes were on Ocean View Boulevard in Pickens Canyon.
Looming above the damaged houses were the wildfire-scarred mountain slopes, still blackened from wildfires.
A heavy downpour at sunrise followed a steady overnight rain of nearly 2 inches in a mountainous 250-square-mile scarred by wildfires last summer. The National Weather Service warned of floods likely in foothill areas of Santa Anita, Sierra Madre, Arcadia and Monrovia. A foot or more of snow was possible at elevations of 5,000 feet or more.
Widespread flooding and downed trees tied up traffic and caused accidents across Los Angeles County.
A section of the Long Beach Freeway was shut down early Saturday because of high water. At least three fatalities were reported after vehicles hydroplaned and crashed on Los Angeles County freeways.
Water almost a foot deep flowed into businesses on Melrose Avenue. To the east, Topanga Canyon Boulevard was closed by a rock slide just north of Pacific Coast Highway, and scattered rocks and mud fell on roads in Malibu.
Scattered power outages affected more than 10,000 customers in the Los Angeles area.
