Mudslides Trap Hundreds of Cars, Close Freeways with More Rain Coming

The prospect of more thunderstorms and heavy rain threatened the Southland today, while crews scrambled to clear mud and rocks that descended on homes and forced the closure of the Golden State (5) Freeway north of Santa Clarita -- the main artery between Los Angeles and California’s Central Valley.

Dozens of vehicles were inundated on the 5 Freeway when mud slid across the roadway amid a powerful storm Thursday afternoon.

Showers and thunderstorms on Thursday produced heavy rain and hail in the area north of Castaic from the Golden State (5) Freeway to Lancaster and points east. About 2 1/2 inches of rain fell in the affected area, portions of which were covered with golf ball-sized hail.

The Golden State (5) Freeway was blocked by mud, rocks and debris between Fort Tejon north of Gorman and Parker Road in the Castaic area. The northbound freeway was expected to remain closed until at least noon, and the southbound freeway was expected to remain closed until 5 p.m., according to the California Highway Patrol. Patrick Chandler of Caltrans said Interstate 5 was choked by debris, mud and car-sized boulders and urged travelers to take a different route.

Northbound traffic was being directed off the freeway three miles north of Santa Clarita at Parker Road and southbound traffic at Grapevine Road, according to the CHP.

Some motorists looking for an alternate route, however, likely were caught in a separate debris flow in Kern County, where up to 20 feet of mud slid onto state Route 58 in Tehachapi, trapping as many as 200 vehicles.

Motorists trying to head south were being advised to take state Routes 41 or 166 to southbound U.S. Highway 101 to eastbound state Route 126.

CHP Officer Francisco Villalobos advised northbound motorists to exit the Golden State Freeway and take westbound state Route 126 to the 101 north.

State route 14, which was closed Thursday, re-opened early today.

During Thursday’s storm, flooding and mud flows devastated the Lake Hughes and Elizabeth Lake areas, where vehicles were trapped in mud and some houses inundated. County fire crews helped some motorists escape their swamped vehicles and get to safety. Aerial video showed a mobile home on its side, apparently swept off a road by a mud flow. Flood and mud also damaged homes in Palmdale.

Rainfall records for Oct. 15 were set Thursday in Palmdale (0.94 of an inch) and Sandberg (0.65 of an inch), breaking the previous records of 0.04 of an inch and 0.15 of an inch, both set in 1935, according to the National Weather Service.

A record was also set at Fox Field in Lancaster, where 0.65 of an inch fell, breaking the previous record of a trace amount set in 2005.

Complicating cleanup efforts in the area was the threat of more rainfall today. Forecasters said any storms that develop over the region will be slow- moving, increasing the chance of heavy rainfall.

A flash flood watch will be in force from this afternoon until early evening in the Antelope Valley and mountain areas in Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. A moist and unstable atmosphere will prevail in those areas, “bringing the threat of strong and locally severe thunderstorms,” said an NWS statement.

National Weather Service forecasters noted that numerous road closures are in effect in the Antelope Valley and the mountains of Los Angeles County due to Thursday’s episodes of flash flooding and mud and debris flows.

“The threat of additional heavy rainfall ... could impact clean-up operations and force additional road closures,” it warned. “There will be the potential for additional flash flooding as well as mud and debris flows across the watch area Friday afternoon into early evening.”

Along with the occasional precipitation, the NWS forecast cloudy skies today and more mild temperatures: 74 in San Clemente; 76 on Mount Wilson; 77 in Avalon; 78 in Newport Beach, Laguna Beach and at LAX; 79 in Mission Viejo; 80 in Long Beach; 81 in downtown L.A., Irvine and Anaheim; 82 in San Gabriel and Palmdale; 83 in Lancaster, Pasadena, Burbank, Saugus and Fullerton; 84 in Yorba Linda; and 85 in Woodland Hills.

Saturday’s temperatures were expected to be about the same, but no rain was in the forecast.

Dozens of vehicles were trapped on the northbound side of the freeway.

City News Service