Severe Storms Batter Southern California as Bad Weather Persists Across the U.S.

A massive debris flow pushed a Los Angeles Fire Department truck onto the Pacific Coast Highway and into the ocean in Malibu on Thursday as Southern California was battered by heavy rain. The storm churned torrents of water and mud on roads at the bottom of hillside areas recently burned by wildfires.

A fire department crew member who was within the vehicle escaped with minor injuries, LAFD spokesman Erik Scott confirmed on X.

Road Closures in Pacific Palisades and Altadena

In Pacific Palisades, a busy intersection of the Pacific Coast Highway was under three feet of sludge. Some motorists tried to drive through the dense muck, and police officers helped stuck cars. Bulldozers cleared the roads, not far from where burned-out cars had to be relocated weeks before after motorists running away from wildfires became stuck in traffic and escaped on foot.

North of Altadena, a road adjacent to the Eaton Fire burn area was also buried under three feet of trees, vegetation, and mud. A wide stream of water overwhelmed concrete barriers, resulting in flash flooding. The region remained largely abandoned.

Winter Storm Brings Destruction in the Pacific Northwest

To the north, snow and ice caused massive freeway pileups in Washington and Oregon, with at least 10 injured. Emergency responders combed through every car in a huge wreck near Multnomah Falls. Over 100 vehicles were initially estimated by authorities to have been involved, but the Oregon Department of Transportation later put the number at 20-30.

Heavy snow, ice, and high winds hindered evaluation of the extent of the damage, department spokesman Ryan McCrary said. Eight individual crashes were responded to by Oregon State Police, and four individuals were transported to hospitals with minor injuries.

The pileup happened under whiteout conditions on Interstate 84 westbound lanes. One SUV caught fire, but its occupants were able to get out. Though there were described injuries and trapped people, Oregon State Police assured no one died.

Multnomah County leaders declared a state of emergency extended at least Friday, opening up eight shelters. On Wednesday night, 489 individuals took refuge in the centers. Wind chill in Portland dropped as low as 10°F (-12°C), with winds of up to 3 inches (7.6 cm) of snow and 45 mph (72 kph) of wind, stated the National Weather Service.

In Southern Washington, a 22-car pileup on Interstate 5 near the Cowlitz River sent six to hospitals. Authorities reported 95 accidents in five southwestern counties on Thursday.

Southern California Braces for Heavy Rain and Mudslides

When the storm began to rage, the National Weather Service issued flash flood and severe thunderstorm watches for eastern Los Angeles County. A rockslide was caused by heavy rain in Malibu Canyon, and eight inches (20 cm) of mud covered Hollywood Hills’ roads.

Southern California mountains may see as much as 6 inches (15 cm) of rain, while coastal and valley communities are anticipating a maximum of 3 inches (8 cm) before the system leaves the region on Friday, according to weather service hydrologist Brent Bower. Blustery conditions had the potential to knock over trees, cut off electricity, and interfere with air travel.

Evacuation orders were given by authorities for residents in the vicinity of the burn areas of the Palisades Fire, which was the most destructive in Los Angeles’ history. Hillsides burned by wildfires are likely to result in mudslides as the vegetation stabilizing the ground is destroyed. The fires also deposited ash, loose material, and unstable ground.

Fighting with Disaster

Authorities handed out sandbags, deployed rescue swimmers, and told residents to have emergency bags in place. Sandbags and temporary concrete barriers were installed in Altadena, where the Eaton Fire burned thousands of houses.

“If you can, stay off the roads today, especially this afternoon and evening,” the National Weather Service warned on X.

The storm caused Malibu schools to close and forced Knott’s Berry Farm amusement park in Orange County to close.

Even with recent heavy rainstorms, much of Southern California is still in extreme or severe drought, the U.S. Drought Monitor reported. UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain explained that while the area badly needs rain, too much at one time can lead to catastrophic flooding and landslides.

At home in Altadena, resident Mehran Daoudian patched up a hole in his roof using a tarp following wildfire destruction last month. He was thankful city crews placed sandbags and barricades through his neighborhood. “I did not leave the cars on the street because with the mudslide, (they) might go down,” he said. The San Francisco Bay region had blackouts, small landslides, and flooded highways. In wine country in northern California, residents in the Russian River area prepared for flooding. The authorities ordered people to evacuate from Felton Grove, a tiny town on the San Lorenzo River, in anticipation of rising water levels.

Next door in Nevada, Las Vegas saw its first measurable rain in 214 days, ending a long dry streak.

In the meantime, northern Utah encountered a perilous combination of rain and snow, rendering mountain roads hazardous for motorists traveling to ski resorts. The state’s Department of Transportation put out a road safety warning for hazardous conditions up to Friday.

East Coast Hit by Heavy Snow and Freezing Rain

Schools throughout New England canceled or postponed classes as snow and ice rendered driving conditions dangerous. In Maine, officials investigated a fatal accident involving a tractor-trailer on the Maine Turnpike.

These storms come two days after a period of record-breaking weather throughout the eastern United States, from Kentucky to Washington, with hundreds of crashes and widespread power failures. 130,000 Virginia customers and 6,600 North Carolina customers were still out of power as of Thursday evening, reports PowerOutage.us.