California's Catastrophic Weather: Tornado Warnings; Flooding; Outages; Intense Rescues

By BEA KARNES and AUTUMN JOHNSON

California has been begging for rain through four years of drought. El Nino delivered this week with a conveyor belt of storms from the Pacific bringing soil-soaking deluges that quickly turned into flooding, mudslides, hail, power outages, closed beaches and two to three feet of snow in the Northern California Sierras. The storms also prompted tornado warnings in Southern California.

If that’s not enough, Mother Nature threw in a 4.4 earthquake. Incredibly, though there have been water rescues from the Bay Area to San Diego, no deaths have been reported.

Southern California

Rain Closes Knott’s Berry Farm and Magic Mountain

• Heavy downpour closed a some local theme parks while others didn’t skip a beat.

Commercial Awning Flung onto Lake Elsinore Home During Storm

• It took about 10 firefighters more than an hour to remove the obstruction.

WATCH: When it Floods in San Diego, Alternative Transport is de Rigueur

• The man in the embedded photo had no problem slogging through a flooded Coast Highway in Oceanside Tuesday, Jan. 5.

Tornado Warning Issued For La Jolla, Carmel Valley

• The warning is set to expire at 3:30 p.m.

San Diego Firefighters Make 75 Water Rescue Calls in 3 Hours

• Among the calls was the extrication of three vehicles from a flooded intersection; one with a woman and a dog; others with children.

Local Rain Totals; Flash Flood Watch

• The Flash Flood Watch and a Winter Storm Warning in the mountains will expire later today.

Get Ready for Nearby Snow, Banning, Beaumont! ‘Heavy Snowfall’ Expected in Local Mountains

• There’s a Winter Storm Warning in effect for the San Bernardino and Riverside county mountains.

EL NINO: County Opens Up Emergency Operation Center

• “We know our region is at risk for flooding and mudslides even when a storm is not severe, so we want to be ready,” said John Benoit.

Help! El Nino is Freaking Out my Pets

• Below are some tips on ensuring your pets are safe and feel secure during El Nino storms.

More Rain, High Surf and Coast Flooding Ahead for the Southland

• NWS forecasters warned that the surf will build to between 10 and 14 feet, with sets of 16 feet expected Thursday morning.

Report: County Needs to Do More to Help Homeless During El Nino

• The grand jury is concerned the number of shelters and beds available for the homeless during rain storms are not enough.

Second Major El Nino Storm Brings Felled Trees, Flooding, Mudslides

• The storm system is part of what forecasters call a ‘conveyor belt’ of storms typical of an El Nino pattern of repeated rain events.

What to Expect with Week’s Third Storm Wednesday

• Wednesday’s storm is another significant one bringing thunderstorms and downpours to already soaked hillsides.

Tuesday’s Rainfall Sets Record At LAX

• Flooding was reported in the San Fernando Valley and Sepulveda Basin. More rain is expected Wednesday.

Lightning Storm Triggers Beach Evacuation

• Beaches along the LA County coast have been closed due to lightning.

Lightning Storm Brings OC Mudslides, Hail, and Water Spouts

• Orange County residents endured wild weather Wednesday with another storm on the horizon.

Northern California

Woman Trapped After Overturned Pickup Plunges Into Water

• Authorities say the woman was able to keep her head above water in the cab and was rescued on Valley Ford Road east of state Highway 1.

UPDATE: Tree Blocks Highway 17; Multiple Crashes Reported

• The downed tree was at Redwood Estates. The trunk measured between 12 inches and 18 inches in diameter. The road is open once again.

High Surf, Coastal Flood Advisories; List of Closed Beach

• The downed tree was at Redwood Estates. The trunk measured between 12 inches and 18 inches in diameter. The road is open once again.

Banning Quake, Magnitude 4.4, Felt Thru SoCal

• The earthquake, centered in the Banning Pass area, woke people out of bed throughout Southern California this morning.

Photo courtesy #1 Surf Ride from WATCH: When it Floods in San Diego, Alternative Transport is de Rigueur; photos 2-5 courtesy Patch