LOS ANGELES — A winter downpour in Los Angeles Thursday sent almost mud sliding over Mulholland Drive and prompted orders to evacuate near areas burned by devastating wildfires last month, officials said.
Around 8 inches of mud slid over the famous roadway in the Hollywood Hills, closing it, but homes above the slide were determined to be stable, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.
The heavy rain Thursday afternoon also prompted an emergency flash flood warning for the burn scar of the Palisades Fire, which destroyed thousands of homes burned more the 20,000 acres in the hills near the Pacific Ocean in January.
“This is a dangerous and life-threatening situation. Do not attempt to travel unless you are fleeing an area subject to flooding or under an evacuation order,” the Los Angeles Fire Department warned late Thursday afternoon. The flash flood warning was to last until 8 p.m.
Thousands of people in the Palisades area, as well as in and near the burn scar from the Eaton Fire and other fires, were ordered to evacuate until at least Friday afternoon, the LAFD said. City officials posted an evacuation map online.
An NBC News crew captured video of an SUV tossed and pushed into the ocean by a torrent of mud and water streaming off the coast in Malibu. The driver, a member of the LAFD, escaped with minor injuries after the large debris flow along Big Rock Road swept the vehicle into the ocean around 5 p.m., an LAFD spokesperson said.
In Orange County, south of Los Angeles, a mandatory evacuation was issued for Trabuco Creek, Bell Canyon and Hot Springs Canyon due to mudslide fears, officials said. In other areas, people were warned to be ready to leave if ordered.
Ventura County announced an evacuation warning for those living near the burn scar areas of the Mountain Fire. It will last until Friday morning.
As of Thursday afternoon, 32 million people in California were under flood watches as heavy rain soaked the state.
Rainfall totals through Friday are expected to range from 1 to 3 inches along the coast and in the valleys, with up to 6 to 10 inches in higher terrain.
