LOS ANGELES (AP) — Torrential rains drenched parts of Southern California on Friday, leading to new flash flood warnings following earlier storms that put the region on track for near-record November rainfall, according to the National Weather Service.
Before dawn Friday, residents were warned of flash flooding of streets, creeks, and streams and possible mudslides in several parts of Los Angeles and Orange counties. In coastal Huntington Beach, rain flowed through some streets like a stream.
The most recent flash flood warnings from the National Weather Service covered areas spanning from downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica to Mission Viejo in Orange County. Some vehicles were stuck in floodwaters near Culver City before dawn on Friday.
A series of storms beginning on November 13 has unleashed copious amounts of rain, more than four times the normal amount that typically falls in November in downtown Los Angeles, according to reports.
In a typical November, downtown Los Angeles usually receives about 0.78 inches (2 centimeters) of rain, but has already surpassed that figure, accumulating around 3.5 inches (8.9 centimeters) this month.
Santa Barbara County has been particularly hard hit, with parts of the Santa Ynez Mountains measuring more than 15 inches (38 centimeters) of rain this month. This deluge is attributed to a potent atmospheric river that has affected much of California, previously causing at least six fatalities earlier this month.
The prospect of mudslides remains a significant threat in areas recently ravaged by wildfires. Atmospheric rivers are long and narrow bands of water vapor that form over the ocean, carrying moisture from the tropics to northern latitudes.
