Hollywood hills hit by devastating storm, over 1.1 million without power

• Over 2.5 million people are under a flash flood warning.
• Up to 9 inches of rain had already fallen in the area, with more expected.
• Floodwaters coursed through Studio City, carrying mud, rocks, and household objects downhill.

A historic storm dumped a record amount of rain over parts of Los Angeles on Monday, sending mud and boulders down hillsides dotted with multimillion-dollar homes. In contrast, people living in homeless encampments in many parts of the city scrambled for safety.

More than one million people statewide were without power. The storm, fueled by an atmospheric river, was the second one to hit the state for days.

About 2.5 million people in the Los Angeles area, including the Hollywood Hills and Beverly Hills, were under a flash flood warning. Up to 9 inches (23 centimeters) of rain had already fallen in the area, with more expected, according to the National Weather Service, which called the flash flooding and threat of mudslides “a perilous situation.”

Crews were already rescuing people from swift-moving water in various parts of Southern California, including two homeless people who were evacuated Monday from a small island in the Santa Ana River in San Bernardino, about 55 miles (88.51 kilometers) east of Los Angeles, authorities said.

Floodwaters coursed through Studio City, an area on the backside of the Hollywood Hills, carrying mud, rocks, and household objects downhill.

City officials evacuated sixteen Studio City residents, and floodwaters damaged two homes.

“It looks like a river that’s been here for years,” said Keki Mingus, whose neighbors’ homes were damaged. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Los Angeles Fire Department:

The Los Angeles Fire Department reported that 1,000 firefighters were contending with 49 debris flows, 130 reports of flooding, half a dozen structure fires, and several rescues of motorists stranded in vehicles.

Drake Livingston, who lives in the Beverly Crest neighborhood, was watching a movie around midnight when a friend alerted him to flooding.

“We looked outside and there’s a foot-and-a-half of running water, and it starts seeping through the doors,” Livingston said.

Livingston scrambled to save some possessions but eventually retreated to a neighbor’s house. By morning, Livingston found his car submerged in several feet of mud.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass urged residents to avoid driving, warning of fallen trees and electrical lines on flooded roadways.

Over 10 inches (25.4 centimeters) of rain has fallen in the Santa Monica Mountains. Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said hazards will continue to be a threat in areas around recent wildfire burn scars, noting that rain is forecast to continue into Tuesday.

The National Weather Service reported a record 4.1 inches (10.41 centimeters) of rain in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, marking it as the 10th wettest day on record. This amount of rainfall surpassed the area’s typical monthly average.

Despite the heavy rain, the Grammy Awards proceeded as scheduled on Sunday night at downtown’s Crypto.com Arena.

Recent weather updates:

The weather service predicted up to 8 inches (20 centimeters) of rainfall in Southern California’s coastal and valley regions, with a possibility of 14 inches (35 centimeters) in the foothills and mountains over the next two days.

On Monday morning, commuters navigated through several inches of floodwater as they hurried to catch trains at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles.

Over the weekend, the storm inundated streets and caused trees and electrical lines to fall throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Additionally, the weather service issued a rare “hurricane-force wind warning” for the Central Coast. Rising floodwaters prompted several rescues, including those of individuals stranded in cars and homeless encampments.

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