LOS ANGELES — A winter downpour in Los Angeles on Thursday sent 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 and burned more the 20,000 acres in the hills near the Pacific Ocean in January.
All flood warnings were canceled by 8 p.m. local time as Thursday's heavy rains moved out of the area, the National Weather Service said. "However, please keep in mind that mud and rock slides can still happen well after the rain has ended," the agency said on X.
Evacuation orders were issued for the Pacific Palisades area, as well as in and near the burn scar from the Eaton Fire and other fires, until Friday afternoon, the fire department 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 fire department, escaped with minor injuries after the large debris flow along Big Rock Road swept the vehicle into the ocean around 5 p.m., a fire spokesperson said.
In Orange County, south of Los Angeles, a mandatory evacuation was issued for Trabuco Canyon, Bell Canyon and Hot Springs Canyon because of 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 were under flood watches as heavy rain soaked the state.
Rainfall through Friday is 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.
A statewide response has placed almost 120 miles of barriers around Southern California to prevent flooding and stop rain runoff and debris from burn scars from entering rivers and lakes. The operation involves 319,000 sandbags, more than 240 fire engines and 400 personnel across eight counties.
Public workers have been busy clearing drains and handing out sandbags to residents.
Joanne Hubble, a resident who does emergency planning coordination for Trabuco and other eastern Orange County canyon communities, told NBC Los Angeles officials hope the sandbags hold.
“We hope that they do. All you can do is to stay prepared and try and stay ahead of the game,” Hubble said. She said it’s important for residents to sign up for emergency alerts.
Winter weather in the West
Other parts of the West also got winter weather, including snow in the Sierra Nevada. Up to 3 feet of snow is expected there over Thursday and Friday, the weather service said. The Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center issued a backcountry avalanche warning in Mono County until 7 a.m. Friday.
In Oregon, a stretch of westbound Interstate 84 in Multnomah County east of Portland was closed after 20 to 30 vehicles crashed in whiteout conditions, the state Transportation Department said.
The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office initially said on X that around 100 vehicles were involved, but that post referred to the vehicles that were stopped because of the crashes, NBC affiliate KGW of Portland reported.
Four people had minor injuries, Oregon State Police said. State police responded to eight crashes, and "icy and slick roads, limited visibility, and near-white-out conditions" were considered factors in them, the agency said. Local law enforcement also responded to other crashes.
Freezing rain and snow were forecast for the Portland region, including Multnomah County, which recorded between 1.3 and 3 inches of snow by Thursday night. Around 3 inches of snow had fallen in Tillamook County, west of Portland, by Thursday morning, the National Weather Service said.
Phil Helsel reported from Los Angeles, Patrick Smith from London and Rebecca Cohen from New York City.
