Water Rescue, Mudslide Follow Year's First Major Storm

Heavy rainfall expected to hammer Orange County through this afternoon prompted a flash flood warning for Silverado Canyon and an advisory for the rest of the county, the National Weather Service reported.

As of noon, steady rainfall that began this morning had not led to any major incidents other than a swiftwater rescue of a man in his 40s who was swept up in fast-moving water in Buena Park about 9:45 a.m., according to Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Steve Concialdi. The man was taken to an area hospital in moderate condition.

At 10 a.m., a crash involving a vehicle and a bus on the Santa Ana (5) Freeway sent three patients to UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange with moderate injuries, Concialdi said.

There was some flooding at Goldenwest Street and Heil Avenue in Huntington Beach, but otherwise no major incidents, Officer Jennifer Marlatt said.

No significant weather-related incidents or flooding was reported in Seal Beach or Newport Beach as of the noon hour.

The heaviest rainfall arrived in Orange County about noon, according to National Weather Service meteorologist James Thomas, andwas expected to continue through about 1:30 p.m., Thomas said.

Some areas of the county could expect up to a half-inch of rain per hour, Thomas said.

In Silverado Canyon, residents were hunkering down and no one had heeded an voluntary evacuation call as of noon, Orange County sheriff’s Lt. Jeff Hallock said.

“Those people who live out there prepare for it and expect it,” Hallock said.

Dirt trails throughout the county’s parks system have been closed until further notice, according to a parks spokeswoman, but paved trails were still open.

City News Service; Photo: Orange County Fire Authority swift water rescue drill courtesy of OCFA