Flash flood advisories for Los Angeles County expired early Wednesday as a fast-moving storm rolled on through the Inland Empire and left behind a freeway mudslide and power outages.
The Colby, Powerhouse and Williams burn areas were under the threat of mud and debris flows, the NWS said, but no problems were reported Tuesday morning. Flood advisories for LA County's burn areas expired at about 5 a.m.
Morning commuters on Wednesday faced another round of rain-slicked streets from an overnight storm that brought rain and hail to parts of Southern California. The storm quickly moved east and produced rainfall amounts that exceeded more than one inch per hour in the San Bernardino area at about 5:30 a.m.
Flash flood watches reamined in effect for parts of the Inland Empire. A flash flood watch means rain heavy enough to cause flooding and unleash debris flows. Recent burn areas are especially susceptible, the NWS said, singling out last year's Mountain Fire burn area.
The eastward-moving storm cells, which could dump up to 2 inches of rail in some areas, were expected to leave the region by noon. Moderate rainfall -- including some embedded in thunderstorms -- will hit Riverside metropolitan areas around 5 to 7 a.m. and spread south and east through the remainder of the region, according to the National Weather Service.
A winter storm warning is in effect for San Bernardino County mountains. The advisory will be in effect until about 8 p.m., and mountain areas above 5,500 feet will likely see the first snow accumulation of the season today. Up to 4 inches of accumulation is possible in Idyllwild and Pine Cove.
Sustained winds of 25 to 35 miles per hour and gusts up to 45 mph are likely in mountain areas.
All eastbound lanes of the 91 Freeway in Corona were blocked because of the mud and rock slide, as were the transition lanes from the northbound Eastern Transportation Corridor (241) to the eastbound 91, the log reported.
Power outages were reported across the region, including one that left about 900 customers in the Hollywood Hills/Studio City area without service early Wednesday after a tree fell on utility lines. The tree blocked a lane of traffic on Laurel Canyon Boulevard near Kirkwood Drive.
In Ventura County, Camarillo Springs residents were forced to leave their homes in the middle of the night when sheriff’s deputies knocked on their doors early Wednesday. The mandatory evacuation orders were lifted around 3:15 a.m., meaning residents were able to return to their homes if not red-tagged or deemed unsafe by authorities.
Another weak storm system scheduled to arrive Thursday might bring light rain during the morning drive.
California has been hit hard by rain and snow over the past week, but the steady downpours have not ended a three-year drought. Up to 7 inches of snow was expected in the Central Sierra -- springtime runoff is critical for the state's water supply.
