One dead, two missing in California storm
Several swept away in flood control channel
LOS ANGELES — One person died, and two others were missing in a raging stream channel, as a powerful storm pounded California with rain and snow Tuesday, raising fears of flash flooding and concerns that the weather could keep people from Election Day voting.
The current in a canal in Ontario, a city in Southern California, swept six people away, killing one, the Ontario Fire Department said.
Firefighters were able to pull three others from the water, and they have been hospitalized. Crews continued searching for those missing amid the downpour, the department said.
Some of the heaviest rain is expected later in Orange County, which has several close U.S. House races that could determine which party controls Congress.
The Republican Party of Orange County urged members to vote early and avoid getting stuck in the rain on Election Day.
“Election Day lines are long and typically one to two hours long. Don’t risk getting caught waiting in the rain to cast your ballot,” an email sent by the party Monday said.
The storm arrived Monday and is forecast to last into midweek. But it was already causing trouble in some areas Tuesday.
The city of Duarte, in the Southern California foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, issued mandatory evacuation orders late Monday night for about 25 homes in the Fish Fire burn scar area. Other evacuation orders are in place through Wednesday morning for canyon areas in the Santa Ana Mountains’ Bond Fire burn scar.
In Northern California, meteorologists issued a flash flood, warning that heavy rainfall could lead to debris flows and flash flooding in the burn scars of the Colorado and River wildfires.
Between 1 and 3 inches of rainfall are expected through Wednesday in the Los Angeles area’s coast and valleys. The foothills and mountains could see up to 5 inches. Thunderstorms were expected to last Tuesday afternoon into the evening, National Weather Service meteorologists said.
Meteorologists said that mountain peaks above 6,000 feet elevation could get 6 to 12 inches of snowfall, with 20 inches possible locally.
The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for the greater Lake Tahoe area on Tuesday as heavy snow fell in the region, causing backups in highways in the area. The agency warned driving in the region would be extremely difficult, if not impossible.
“Be prepared for whiteout conditions and sub-zero wind chills along ridgelines and near the mountain passes,” the agency said in its alert, adding that the hazardous conditions will affect motorists during peak commute times.
The latest Pacific storm is the second significant storm this month in drought-stricken California, fueling optimism among officials that the wet weather could blunt an already moderate wildfire season.
“My sense is it’s certainly going to help,” said Assistant Chief Tim Chavez, who works in wildfire forecasting and threat intelligence for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
In Northern California, snow in the high country will put an end to the fire threat “for quite some time” while in lowlands where rain has been scant it might just “slow things down,” he said.