LOS ANGELES: Torrential rains unleashed widespread flash flooding and mud flows across Southern California, as authorities warned motorists to stay off roads while urging residents in flood zones to evacuate or shelter in place. In the rain-soaked mountain resort of Wrightwood, east of Los Angeles, emergency crews spent much of the day answering dozens of rescue calls and pulling drivers to safety from submerged vehicles, San Bernardino County Fire Department spokesperson Christopher Prater said.
Aerial video footage posted online by the fire department showed rivers of mud coursing through inundated cabin neighbourhoods. Downpours measuring an inch (2.54 cm) or more of rain an hour in some areas were spawned by the region's latest atmospheric storm, a vast airborne current of dense moisture siphoned from the Pacific and swept inland over the greater Los Angeles area. The storm was expected to persist into Friday, posing unsafe driving conditions during what would normally be a busy holiday travel period, according to the US National Weather Service. — Reuters
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
