A powerful, slow-moving storm in the Hollywood Hills and Santa Monica Mountains area has led to mudflows, damage to homes, and forced evacuations of residents. The National Weather Service has issued flash flood warnings and urged people to avoid travel in these areas due to life-threatening landslides and additional flash flooding expected overnight. The storm has already caused heavy rain and forecasters have warned of a high risk for excessive rainfall for Orange County and parts of the Inland Empire through Tuesday morning.
The storm has already caused mudflows that damaged homes and forced residents to flee in the Hollywood Hills and Studio City areas. In Studio City, a debris flow damaged at least two homes and led to the evacuation of nine homes. Sections of roadways and highways have been closed due to flooding and landslides as well. Power outages have also been reported throughout the region, with thousands of customers affected. The storm has prompted various closures including schools, universities, and state of emergency declarations in several Southern California counties.
The slow-moving storm is forecasted to bring heavy rain for several days, leading to potential commuting and localized flooding. The storm also poses a significant risk for life-threatening flooding, leading to evacuations and rescue operations. Reports of damage and rescues have been increasing across the region, creating a high alert throughout Southern California. Overall, the severity and wide-ranging effects of this storm highlight the extremely dangerous situation unfolding in the Hollywood Hills and Santa Monica Mountains area.