LOS ANGELES, California — The latest winter storm to hit California caused havoc on roadways Friday and filled the concrete channel of the Los Angeles River — a rare sight in a city that is accustomed to sunshine.
At least 6 vehicles flooded and stuck on Vineland Ave in #NorthHollywood right on the western end of Burbank Airport …including a Maserati. @LAFD was on scene to help. Steer clear of Vineland if possible. @kcalnews #larain @NWSLosAngeles @fly_BUR pic.twitter.com/uvHpn4ObfY
— John Schreiber (@johnschreiber) February 24, 2023
The LA River is definitely rivering pic.twitter.com/piiXFbeN2A
— Hayley Smith (@whereishayley) February 24, 2023
Never seen anything like this in LA. #LosAngeles #Rain #Storm #LArain pic.twitter.com/pwKcIjllOV
— Damon Gonzalez (@TheyCallMeDaymz) February 24, 2023
The rain, which began falling on Wednesday, coincided with cold temperatures, meaning that the storm is bringing heavy snowfall to the mountains around Los Angeles — and even to the city itself, at high elevations.
GOES-18 Satellite View – A Cold Low Pressure System spins offshore West of the Central Coast of CA. An intensifying Cold Front is pushing into Central CA, and will move through #SoCal, bringing very heavy rain and Thunderstorms later this evening into tomorrow AM.#CAwx #LArain pic.twitter.com/8rMNfk92mz
— SoCal Weather Watcher (@SoCalWXwatcher) February 24, 2023
Driving conditions became extremely dangerous, with downed trees and flooded highways prompting warnings from local officials, who urged drivers not to take their chances by pushing through hazardous thoroughfares.
Tree branches down at Lomavista and a Magnolia narrowly misses park car in #LongBeach.#Winterstorm #LARain #LBRain @NBCLA https://t.co/Q2VMtiUCTH pic.twitter.com/HfQDCPJnI2
— Mekahlo Medina (@MekahloNBCLA) February 24, 2023
As a reminder, if you see flooded roads, TURN AROUND, DON’T DROWN! You can’t tell how deep the water is and you (and your vehicle) can be swept away. #CAwx #LArain
— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) February 24, 2023
Roads are flooded out. Everyone drive safe if you have to be out today. #LARain #flashflood #LAweather pic.twitter.com/WL15xQwEnG
— Chhaya Néné (@ChhayaNene) February 24, 2023
Homeowners struggled with flooded garages and leaking roofs — a persistent problem throughout a winter that was predicted to be the third straight dry season in an ongoing drought, but which has brought historic rainfall.
The one consolation: impressive rainbows have appeared in the sky periodically throughout the week of storms.
Whole Rainbow ? #LARain pic.twitter.com/GgLVIPnQ1r
— tayzaro (@tay_zaro) February 24, 2023
The rain is expected to last through Saturday evening, when it is expected to taper off, allowing cleanup to begin.
Locals have criticized state authorities for their failure to build adequate infrastructure to capture the rainfall, some 95% of which simply washes out to the ocean instead of being put to human or environmental uses.
The storms are thought to contain enough water, if captured, to supply the state’s needs for at least a decade.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the new biography, Rhoda: ‘Comrade Kadalie, You Are Out of Order’. He is also the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
