Record Rain Causes More Than 100 Mudslides With Days Of Rain To Come

LOS ANGELES, CA — A historic rain storm slammed Southern California Monday, unleashing more than 100 mudslides, floods, road closures, and power outages and triggering evacuations in Los Angeles and Orange Counties.

President Joe Biden called Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass mid-press conference to promise aid for the water-logged region.

“We’ll get any help on the way as soon as you guys request it,” the president said, according to the New York Times. “So just let me know. That’s why I’m calling.”

Though the heaviest of the downpours have likely passed, several more inches of rain are expected to fall on the region over the next several days, increasing the risk of additional mudslides and sinkholes in a region already saturated.

In its first 24 hours, the storm set rainfall records across the region, and forecasters warn of several days of rain yet to come, increasing the life-threatening danger posed by the second atmospheric river to drench the region in the last week. By Monday evening, the storm had already dropped nearly 12 inches in Bel Air, and nearly 11 inches in Woodland Hills, according to the National Weather Service. Beverly Hills received nearly 8 inches, while downtown Los Angeles got 7 and just more than 4 inches fell at Los Angeles International Airport.

And more rain was still falling. NWS forecasters said Monday afternoon as much as 3 more inches could fall in most Los Angeles County areas before the storm ends, with higher amounts possible in the mountains. The storm could also still generate thunderstorms through Tuesday night, forecasters said, resulting in even higher rainfall rates and raising the risk of flooding.

With rain expected to continue falling throughout the day and into Tuesday, a flash flood warning was extended until 5 a.m. for the Southern San Fernando Valley, Calabasas, Agoura Hills, the Santa Monica Mountain foothills and central Los Angeles.

"Doppler radar indicated moderate to heavy rainfall moving into much of the warned area," the weather service announced Monday afternoon. "Between 5 and 10 inches of rain have fallen. This additional rain will likely cause additional flash flooding as well as rock and mudslide activity. Recent burn areas could also see debris flow."

Mudslides and flooding damaged homes, cars and blocked roadways in Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Bel Air, Agoura Hills and Malibu. Several people had to be rescued from their cars. In Beverly Crest, firefighters assisted stranded residents in seven homes, including nine children.

In the Hollywood Hills, a mudslide severely damaged six homes and threatened a seventh along Beverly Drive in the Beverly Crest area. Los Angeles Fire Department crews escorted 15 residents out of the area, including nine children, but no injuries were reported. City Building and Safety crews were assessing the extent of damage to the homes.

Two homes sustained significant damage in Studio City when mud and debris slid down a hillside along Lockridge Road. Fire crews evacuated residents from nine homes on the stretch. In the Tarzana/Encino area, three homes were impacted by a debris flow along Boris Drive, prompting some evacuations.

Rocks and boulders fell on parts of Malibu Canyon Road, prompting a closure along that street that was later lifted. But stretches of Piuma Road and Topanga Canyon Boulevard were also closed due to flooding and debris in the Malibu/Topanga areas, with sheriff's officials reporting several vehicles completely submerged on Piuma.

Gushing rivers carried mud, rocks and objects from people’s multimillion-dollar homes, including coolers, ladders and plastic crates, in Studio City.

Several homes were damaged, including one with a crumpled garage door from the debris slide.

A text late Sunday alerted Keki Mingus that a neighbor's house at the top of a hill was in trouble.

“Mud, rocks and water came rushing down through their house and another neighbor’s house and into our street,” Mingus said as water continued to rush down the road around dawn on Monday. “I can’t believe it. It looks like a river that’s been here for years. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

About 1.4 million people in the Los Angeles area, including the Hollywood Hills and Beverly Hills, were under a flash flood warning Monday morning. Up to 9 inches (23 centimeters) of rain had already fallen in the area, with more expected, according to the National Weather Service, which called the flash flooding and threat of mudslides “a particularly dangerous situation.”

Already crews were rescuing people from swift-moving water in various parts of Southern California. Mudslides closed two stretches of the San Diego (405) Freeway on opposite ends of Los Angeles County Monday morning.

By the end of the day, the far right lane of the westbound Pasadena (210) Freeway has been closed between Hubbard and Roxford streets in the Sylmar area due to a sinkhole that has opened alongside the roadway.

Residents in Culver City were issued an evacuation warning shortly after 5 p.m. due to flooding. Crews were also working to clear a mudslide in Topanga Canyon on North Topanga Boulevard.

Some of the most intense rainfall from the storm so far has hit the Conejo Valley and Topanga Canyon areas, with near 10 inches of rain falling in the Bel Air and Woodland Hills areas by 4 a.m. Monday, according to the National Weather Service. Rainfall in Downtown Los Angeles nearly doubled its old record, with more than four inches of rain falling since the start of the storm. Still heavy rain is expected to continue throughout the day Monday.

The National Weather Service called the situation in the Hollywood Hills and Santa Monica Mountains "extremely dangerous" and "life-threatening."

Several schools across the region closed for the day or modified their schedules. Schools in Malibu were closed Monday due to the threat of mudslides. Among the Cal State campuses impacted are Fullerton, Los Angeles, Northridge, Dominguez Hills, Cal Poly Pomona, San Bernardino and Long Beach, KTLA reported.

The Los Angeles Unified School District reported that about 4 in 10 students missed school Monday amid the hazardous road conditions.

Forecasters said the rain will continue to batter the region through Thursday but with much less intensity compared to the last 24 hours. Additional rainfall amounts are predicted to be between 3 inches to 6 inches.

"The majority of projections keep the core of the band wobbling between Los Angeles and Orange Counties through tonight," the National Weather Service warned. "For Tuesday, it will be more showery with more breaks in the rain, but the convective threat will continue. The newest wrinkle is some projections showing another small low-pressure area dropping off the coast on Wednesday and producing another organized band of rain that will sweep through California Wednesday Night into Thursday."

Mayor Karen Bass Monday signed a declaration of a local emergency that is intended to help the city of Los Angeles' response to the storm and ensure resources for the recovery period.

Bass' action came on the heels of similar emergency declarations by Los Angeles County and Gov. Gavin Newsom, who declared an emergency for all of Southern California. The mayor recognized that Sunday's storm marked the 10th wettest day in the history of the city since recording rain amounts began in 1877.

She continued to urge residents to stay safe and off the roads, as more rain is expected to come down.

"Only leave your house if it is absolutely necessary. Stay informed. Register for [email protected]," Bass said.

City News Service and the Associated Press contributed to this report.