SOAKED SOUTHLAND'S PLEA: LET IT WANE STORM SETS RECORDS, FLOODS AREAS.Byline: Andrea Cavanaugh Staff Writer A slow-moving storm walloped Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, on Tuesday, dumping record rainfall on some communities, and forecasters expect the wet weather to continue through New Year's Day New Year's Day, among ancient peoples the first day of the year frequently corresponded to the vernal or autumnal equinox, or to the summer or winter solstice. In the Middle Ages it was celebrated among Christians usually on Mar. 25. . More than 4 1/2 inches of rain fell at Chatsworth Reservoir in the 24-hour period ending at 4 p.m. Tuesday, while nearly 4 inches fell at the Hansen Dam Reservoir during that same time. Upper Matilija Canyon in the Los Padres National Forest Los Padres National Forest is a forest located in southern and central California, which includes most of the mountainous land along the California coast from Ventura to Monterey, extending inland. Elevations range from sea level to 8,831 feet. in Ventura County received nearly 14 inches. Downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area. The sprawling, multi-centered megacity is such that its downtown core is often considered just another district like Hollywood or got a record 4.32 inches of rain by Tuesday afternoon, more than doubling the 2.09 inches set Dec. 28, 1931. ``This was a real energetic piece of work by Mother Nature,'' said Bill Hoffer, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. ``Everyone is always saying we need rain - well, here it is.'' Heavy rains, strong winds and crashing 7-foot surf likely will subside this afternoon, but the chance of rain will continue through Sunday, Hoffer said. Highs will be in the upper 50s to low 60s, with lows in the 40s and 50s. Late Tuesday, the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for Santa Catalina Island San·ta Cat·a·li·na Island or Catalina Island An island off southern California in the southern Santa Barbara Islands. Discovered in 1542, it has been a noted resort center since the 1920s. . The island about 25 miles off Los Angeles is one of the eight Channel Islands. The storm built momentum in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, waking residents with pounding rain and gusty gust·y adj. gust·i·er, gust·i·est 1. Blowing in or marked by gusts: a gusty storm. 2. Characterized by sudden outbursts. winds. Flooded roadways and hundreds of crashes snarled snarl 1 v. snarled, snarl·ing, snarls v.intr. 1. To growl viciously while baring the teeth. 2. To speak angrily or threateningly. v.tr. the morning and evening commutes, with similar problems likely today, officials said. Storm-related outages left more than 13,000 customers without power in parts of Los Angeles, Van Nuys, Studio City and Encino, and more than 45 crews worked to restore service throughout the day, according to the Department of Water and Power. A trash-truck driver was electrocuted Tuesday morning in Jefferson Park, possibly when he moved downed wires out of the path of his vehicle, police said. And about 10 a.m., lightning struck an antenna that serves the Los Angeles Police Department's radio network, knocking out the agency's communication system for about three hours and sending officers scrambling up hills with outdated equipment to relay messages, Sgt. Andy Whitman said. California Highway Patrol officers handled nearly 500 calls in the Los Angeles area between midnight Monday and 10 a.m. Tuesday, nearly three times the usual number, CHP CHP Chapter CHP Combined Heat and Power CHP California Highway Patrol CHP Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi (Turkish: Republican People's Party) CHP Chemical Hygiene Plan (OSHA) CHP Community Health Plan Officer John Seumanutafa said. However, no weather-related traffic fatalities were reported. CHP officers responded to dozens of flooded roadways, including a stretch of the 10 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles. The Sepulveda Boulevard tunnel that carries traffic under Los Angeles International Airport “LAX” redirects here. For other uses, see LAX (disambiguation). “KLAX” redirects here. For other uses, see KLAX (disambiguation). Los Angeles International Airport (IATA: LAX, ICAO: KLAX, FAA LID: LAX runways also was flooded and closed. In the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. , the Sepulveda Basin was transformed from a park into a flood-control basin, covering roads and fields in water several feet deep. Designed to hold a torrent that would otherwise flood the Los Angeles River The Los Angeles River is an intermittent river flowing through Los Angeles County, California, from Canoga Park in the west end of the San Fernando Valley, 51 miles (82 km) southeast to its mouth in Long Beach. and surrounding communities, the basin and Sepulveda Dam capture and then slowly release the water when it's safe. ``Burbank Boulevard is about three feet under water. It looks like a lake and that's how it's supposed to be,'' hydrologic engineer Melvin Meneses said. A steady stream of residents funneled through Los Angeles Fire Station 88 in Sherman Oaks, where they grabbed a shovel and buckets to fill burlap sandbags sandbags small sacks containing sand used to support an anesthetized animal in dorsal recumbency and prevent it from rolling sideways during anesthesia or surgery. . Maritza Cordero, 35, of Reseda filled seven sandbags, hoping to block the rainwater that seeped through the front door of her Lull Street home and soaked her new carpet. ``We were able to control it for a while,'' she said. ``You see this on TV. You don't think it will happen to you.'' Homes and parking structures in Glendale were flooded and a house and a car were struck by falling trees, but no one was injured. Several small mudslides and broken gas lines kept rescue workers busy. Residents in Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks reported minor flooding in their homes, but no major structural damage. Some storm drains were temporarily blocked by debris, causing flooding on surface streets. Officials warned of the potential of mudslides in the hills above Simi Valley and Moorpark that were left bare by brush fires last year. The rain could cause minor damage to the strawberry crop and create temporary problems in harvesting berries, celery and cut flowers, but overall the rain is beneficial to Ventura County's agriculture industry, officials said. In a possible rain-related incident at Disneyland, a woman was knocked unconscious and hospitalized Monday night after the Aladdin float careened out of control during the holiday parade and the ``magic carpet'' hit spectators. The Associated Press and Staff Writers Naush Boghossian, Kerry Cavanaugh, Jason Kandel and Eric Leach contributed to this report. Andrea Cavanaugh, (818) 713-3669 andrea.cavanaugh(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 2 photos, chart Photo: (1 -- color) Marisio Portillo climbs out the back of his Montero mon·te·ro n. pl. mon·te·ros A hunter's cap with side flaps. [Spanish, hunter, from monte, mountain, from Latin m to corral corral a small fenced-in enclosure with high, wooden fences, suitable for holding cattle or horses. corral system a management system in which range cattle are put into corrals and fed hay for a period when the environment is most a neighbor's trash can on Tuesday in North Hollywood. Tina Burch/Staff Photographer (2) L.A. city firefighters stand by at the scene of a big rig that crashed on the eastbound 118 Freeway on Tuesday, near the I-5. Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News Chart: RAINFALL TOTALS SOURCE: National Weather Service |
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