Los Angeles awoke Saturday reeling from the tail of a massive storm that slammed into Southern California, killing four residents as it flooded freeways, prompted mudslides and blew down trees and power lines, leaving tens of thousands in the dark.
The deluge that started Friday borne on winds up to 80 mph dumped 2 inches on downtown Los Angeles, and as much as 4 inches of rain on the San Fernando Valley.
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Showers continued to drench the Southland through the morning, with rain falling in excess of a half inch per hour in some areas, the National Weather Service reported. A flash flood watch continues through 11 a.m., with snow levels between 4,000 and 5,000 feet.
The storm is expected to decrease steadily throughout the day, with shower chances lingering into Tuesday and Wednesday.
Meanwhile, as many as 57,000 businesses and residents remained without power in Los Angeles, with 6 a.m. outages reported in 18 neighborhoods from Highland Park to the Hollywood Hills, according to the L.A. Department of Water and Power.
• PHOTOS: Rain drenches the San Fernando Valley
In the San Fernando Valley, power was off at 2,600 locations in Sherman Oaks, 1,960 in Reseda, 1,603 in Tarzana, 2,632 in Valley Glen and 2,357 homes and businesses in Van Nuys.
The torrential rain and strong winds wreaked havoc across the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys, electrocuting one man by a downed power line, trapping motorists in more than 2 feet of water on the 5 Freeway, stranding thousands without power, and a leaving a swath of property damage.
On Friday, firefighters rescued at least eight people from “swift-moving” water at San Fernando Road and Tuxford Street in Sun Valley as well as in flooded areas of the Sepulveda Basin. On the 5 Freeway, reports said water had risen to 2 1/2 feet.
Friday’s storm, said to be the biggest in a decade in drought-stricken L.A., got off to a slow start. But by noon, it came with a vengeance, bolstered by strong winds that brought a flurry of reports of downed power lines and trees toppling onto homes and cars.
“We have stuff all over the Valley,” said Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Daniel Curry on Friday afternoon. “It’s been very busy.”
In Sherman Oaks, a 55-year-old man was electrocuted after a tree branch fell, taking out power lines and landing on a vehicle. The unidentified man apparently was touched by the electrified line or somehow had contact with the charged water, police said.
In Lake Balboa, Los Angeles firefighters plucked three people out of the water from within the flooded Sepulveda Basin. One of the rescued was treated at a nearby hospital, fire officials reported.
Meanwhile, a Swift Water Rescue Team employed an inflatable boat to whisk four others and two dogs to safety.
In Studio City, two vehicles were swallowed by a 20-foot sinkhole, with firefighters rescuing a woman who had escaped her car but was found standing atop her overturned vehicle.
As many as 150 downed power lines wreaked havoc across the city, with trees toppling on homes and cars. As many as 100,000 residents were without power.
In Westwood, near the UCLA campus, one apartment resident came inches away from injury when a 75-foot tree crashed through the roof, landing inches from a bed the resident was lying on, according to the Fire Department.
The storm prompted numerous flight cancellations throughout the region, stranding would-be travelers at local airports.
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Of the four deaths attributed across the region to the storm, rescuers found one person dead inside a submerged car In Victorville, while two passengers died in separate crashes on rain-slickened Interstate 15 in Mira Mesa and City Heights, police said.
As of 4 a.m. Saturday, 2.04 inches had fallen on downtown, 3.05 inches on Chatsworth, 3.37 inches on Northridge, 3.3 inches on Van Nuys and 4.15 inches on Woodland Hills. As much as 6.46 inches fell on Westlake Village, the National Weather Service reported.
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