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Mudslides sweep away cars, damage homes near LA

06 February 2010 21:42 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. Thunderous mudslides swept away cars and pushed furniture out of homes and into the street in the foothills north of Los Angeles Saturday as an intense winter storm brought down hillsides in wildfire burn areas, APA reports citing â€œAssociated Pressâ€.

Up to ten homes and dozens of vehicles were seriously damaged and mandatory evacuation orders were in place for some homes in the La Canada Flintridge area after heavy rains overflowed debris basins, carried away cement barricades and swept cars into storm drains.

At least a foot of debris was reported in some houses. Family photographs, furniture and other personal items were spotted among the rocks and debris that flowed into yards and streets.

Crews used bulldozers and other heavy equipment to clear masses of mud and rocks that blocked suburban streets and intersections. No injuries were reported as a result of the mudslides.

A heavy downpour at sunrise followed a steady overnight rain of nearly 2 inches in a mountainous 250-square-mile scarred by wildfires last summer. The National Weather Service warned of floods likely in foothill areas of Santa Anita, Sierra Madre, Arcadia and Monrovia. Widespread flooding and downed trees tied up traffic and caused accidents across Los Angeles County.

A section of the Long Beach Freeway was shut down early Saturday because of high water.