Storm Causes Mudslides, Floods in Calif.

[emad]

Guardian

Tuesday December 28, 2004 4:16 PM


LOS ANGELES (AP) - A powerful storm moved along the coast Tuesday, causing highway-blocking mudslides, flooding and power outages. Up to a foot of rain was possible in one mountain area.

Police said the weather may have contributed to the death of a young man who apparently tried to surf in 10- to 12-foot waves. ``It's really rough out there,'' said Paul Cole, a fire official at Half Moon Bay, describing the surf where the young man was found.

Highway flooding caused traffic accidents early Tuesday in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. A mudslide in Santa Barbara County closed northbound lanes of Highway 101, backing up traffic for about 20 miles, said Danette Yriarte, a dispatch supervisor for the California Highway Patrol.

Southern California Edison said about 10,000 customers complained of lasting power outages. ``The coastal communities within five miles of the coast are taking quite a pounding,'' utility spokesman Marlon Walker said.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4697955,00.html

BANG goes my trip home to Monterey.....

[illflem]

1. When it rains it pours seems to always be the story with Calif

[bluedeminredstate]

2. My sister lives in SB County,

Carpinteria - just south of Santa Barbara. I'll have to call her and see what's going on. They live a low area and the mountains are literally out their back door. Carp is a beautiful little town, very laid back and with a great sense of community. It doesn't have the bucks that Santa Barbara or Monticieto has, but I like it better. It's a Southern California version of small-town America, but instead of talking about the wheat crop at the coffee shop, they're talking about the surfing conditions at the various beaches.

[Ranec]

4. Carpinteria is clear.

The mud slides happened north of Santa Barbara.

There are signs telling people to take San Marcos pass to get to the north county from Santa Barbara.

[Mountainman]

7. That will be cute, all those 18 wheelers on that winding road!

I use to live in Lompoc and worked in Goleta. I'd hate to have to take the pass to get home if all of the 101 traffic was on it.

[TahitiNut]

3. Monterey should be fine and Hwy 17 should be clear.

After Loma Prieta, I think Hwy 17 would be quite a bit harder to close. The repair work done after that really made it far more impervious to mudslides, so you ought to have no problem getting to and from Monterey from SJC/SFO. Indeed, even Hwy 5 should be fine. (Hwy 1 south of Carmel could be a problem, of course.)

[emad]

10. Thanks for that, we're up in the hills just outside town and had

some road track improvements done last year in the drive up to the house, so here's hopin'..

[MADem]

5. The fundies are probably delighted

Floods, fire and pestilence....those end times, they're a coming!

[GRLMGC]

6. Ugh

For sure. Damn rain, and if there were to be an earthquake, God, I don't even want to think about it. (Knock on wood)

[leesa]

11. "Damn rain"?? We are in desperate need of water in California

Have you looked at the reservoirs lately? They have full grown trees where there used to be water. The rain is a wonderful blessing.

[Mountainman]

8. You forgot the earth quakes.

[MisterP]

9. and Mt. Shasta