A local resident checks the damage to her neighbor's house after heavy rains and mud flows caused it to slide down from the hill in the Beverly Glen section of Los Angeles on Feb. 7, 2024.
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Richard Vogel
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AP
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Topline:
A soaked Southland on Wednesday turned to addressing the aftermath of two record-setting atmospheric rivers that caused damaging debris flows, flooded roadways, and other hazards.
What's next:Los Angeles officials on Tuesday said that while some progress had been made in responding to the two storms, dangers remained from land that had been saturated by the three-day deluge.
Expect more flooding, downed trees, debris flows and other hazards, particularly on roadways. That's because the storm system has lingered over the region, dumping record breaking rainfall.
Why it matters: As of Tuesday evening, the following had been recorded in L.A.:
475 mudslides
390 fallen trees
Multiple successful water rescues
12 structure fires
919 catch basin and storm water systems cleared
441 reports of potholes recorded
Keep reading... for more details and the latest conditions.
The record setting storm is over for now but Los Angeles officials warn that dangers remain from land that had been saturated by the three-day deluge.
Around midday on Wednesday, a debris flow hit Mulholland Drive between Coldwater and Laurel canyons, leaving behind mud and closing the major artery to traffic.
Other debris flows caused damage in Beverly Crest, Beverly Glen, and Beverly Hills, damaging property and clogging roadways and in some cases prompting inspectors to red tag some homes.
A damaged Acura SUV sits under a collapsed carport that was red tagged after mud flows caused by heavy rains destroyed homes in the Beverly Glen section of Beverly Hills on Feb. 7, 2024.
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Richard Vogel
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AP
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"The road to recovery may be long and it requires an all hands approach," L.A. City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said at a news conference Tuesday evening. "We will rebuild, we will recover, and we will emerge stronger."
Mayor Karen Bass said she was preparing official requests for assistance from state and federal officials.
Active weather pattern over the EPac as captured from space. Two atmospheric rivers produced powerful winds and devastating rains to portions of the West Coast. (h/t) to our colleagues @CIRA_CSU for this amazing loop. Give them a follow for🛰 wx . #cawx#bombcyclonepic.twitter.com/K10gwtaoWm
As of Wednesday evening, Crowley said the following had been recorded in L.A.:
562mudslides
527 fallen trees
15 buildings red tagged
31 buildings yellow tagged
Multiple successful water rescues
12 structure fires
1,332 catch basin and storm water systems cleared
1,009 reports of potholes
More potential damage looms Wednesday.
The forecast: More snow and high surf
Light scattered showers are in the forecast for Orange County and portions of the Inland Empire tonight. Elsewhere, the skies will be dry and temperatures have dropped into the 50s.
A high surf advisory for the Malibu Coast and other LA County beaches continues until Friday at noon. In Ventura County, coastal areas are under flood advisory until noon Friday.
Orange county coastal areas will see high surf through this evening.
Snow levels will reach 3,000 feet mostly on the northern slopes of the mountains with a couple inches of accumulating snow expected for the Grapevine I-5 Tejon Pass area.
Winter weather advisories remain in effect for local mountains until mid morning, and until noon for Riverside county mountains.
The rainfall and subsequent damage since Sunday was due in large part to the storm system's slow movement.
An atmospheric river storm inundated Studio City this week. Authorities are warning more landslides and debris flow could be coming, even as the storm moves out of the area.
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David McNew
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AFP via Getty Images
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A view of mudslide damage in Los Angeles, California where nearly seven inches of rain had fallen by Monday.
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Mario Tama
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Getty Images
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Sunday night, 16 residents were evacuated from nine Studio City homes after a mudslide damaged two structures on Lockridge Road. And L.A. firefighters evacuated people from at least three homes affected by debris flows on West Boris Drive in Tarzana. A landslide on Beverly Crest damaged at least six homes, forcing the evacuation of 15 people.
Culver City issued an evacuation warning for residents in Culver Crest as mudflows were reported on Cranks road and Flaxton street. At noon on Tuesday, Hacienda Road in La Habra heights was closed due to an active debris flow moving through the town.
In Santa Barbara, officials briefly evacuated an estimated 40 people from apartment buildings due to cliff erosion.
Some resources to make sure you have the most up-to-date information:
The 3-day observed precipitation totals across the state of California where record-breaking amounts of rain fell in Southern California.
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Courtesy NOAA
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Long, sustained periods of rain are characteristic of El Niño storms. Warmer than normal waters off the coast — often associated with the climate phenomenon — are juicing our recent storms by sending more heat and water into the atmosphere.
"This has truly been a historic storm for Los Angeles," Ariel Cohen, meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service in Oxnard, said Tuesday. He added that it was the third wettest two-day stretch for the city since they started keeping records back in the 1870s.
People view the Los Angeles River swollen by storm runoff as a powerful long-duration atmospheric river storm, the second in less than a week, continues to impact Southern California on February 5, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
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Mario Tama
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Getty Images North America
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Many places across the L.A. region received nearly as much rain as the city typically receives all year. For the latest three-day rainfall totals in your area, visit the National Weather Service tally here.
For perspective, the average annual rainfall for L.A. is usually around 14 inches.
Reports of landslides
Submerged vehicles are photographed after a mudslide, Monday, Feb. 5, 2024, in the Beverly Crest area of Los Angeles.
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Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP
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AP
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It's not uncommon for rocks and mud to flow off steep hillsides and onto roads during heavy rains. And debris flows were reported across the region over the past several days. They included:
Studio City: Two homes damaged by mudflow, with a total of 16 residents evacuated from nine homes.
Tarzana: Three homes damaged by a mudflow and two people evacuated from a home.
Beverly Crest: Seven homes have been damaged by debris flow and 15 people were evacuated.
La Habra Heights: Hazardous levels of mud were reported along Hacienda Road at noon on Tuesday.
Coastal erosion
On Tuesday morning, Santa Barbara County officials briefly evacuated approximately 40 people from four apartment buildings in the beachside college town of Isla Vista. Officials were concerned that the columns holding up the structures could give way because of cliff erosion below the buildings.
Up in the mountains
So far, snow levels have been relatively high, mostly above 5,500 feet.
Winter storm warnings are in effect in the Angeles and San Bernardino National Forests until this morning.
The view Tuesday morning from a camera at Big Bear. By Tuesday morning 12-24 inches of snow had already fallen, with many more inches forecast in the days to come.
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Courtesy National Weather Service
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Between now and Thursday, the San Gabriel mountains will see up to 20 inches of snow at elevations higher than 7,000 feet, between 5 to 8 inches at elevations of 6,000 feet.
Snow levels in the San Bernardino mountains will drop to 4,000 feet, but the heavier snow is expected at higher elevations, where up to 2 feet is expected above 7,000 feet. Weather forecasters are also warning of strong wind gusts of up to 55 mph tonight.
Travel is expected to be difficult, if not impossible. If you must head in or around these areas, pack emergency supplies in your car just in case.
The Angeles National Forest is urging people to stay away from the area at least for the next few days. Very hazardous conditions are expected, including heavy rain, fast-moving landslides, snow, and flooding.
For the latest snowfall totals by neighborhood, go here.
What was up with the L.A. River?
Social media has been inundated with videos of the Los Angeles River gushing with water as historic rains pummel Southern California.
A view of the L.A. River on Monday shows high water levels and a swift moving stream on a river that's often bone dry.
Jon Sweeten, a reservoir regulation engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District, said videos of the river seemingly on the verge of overflowing shouldn't necessarily be cause for alarm.
“People see a lot of water in a channel that they see that's normally dry and they go, ‘Oh my goodness, there's a lot of water,’” he said. “That's just the channel operating in the way it was designed.”
The system, Sweeten added, “is designed to hold some of the water behind the dams and release it into concrete line channels that will convey the flow very effectively to the ocean.”
Since the 51 miles of river pass through different cities, at the time the infrastructure was built, municipalities were responsible for building bridges within their respective boundaries. At the time, local officials pushed for a narrower river, so that it would be cheaper to build the bridges while also preserving more land for development.
“In order to make the system work well, they designed it so that it flowed very fast so — the system flows much faster than a natural stream would flow,” Sweeten said. “Which is why it's dangerous for people to stand on the concrete in the L.A. River, because water up to your ankle is capable of knocking you off your feet.”
Sewage spills
Avoid fecal coliform bacteria and all sorts of nasty chemicals by staying out of the ocean for at least a few days.
It's a notion that holds doubly true for Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro, and every swimming area in Long Beach, as an estimated 8 million gallons of sewage have flowed down into the water.
A sanitation department spokesperson said sewer systems were so overwhelmed by rain that they backed up and spilled out into the Dominguez Channel, which leads to the Port of Long Beach, and into Compton Creek, which flows into the L.A. River.
An additional 40,000 gallons of sewage are also estimated to have spilled into the L.A. River following a backup in Commerce.
Public health officials advise people to wait at least 72 hours after significant rainfall to go into the ocean water.
Multiple evacuation orders and warnings for L.A., Ventura and Santa Barbara counties have been canceled, though it's possible additional alerts will be issued.
As of Wednesday morning:
Los Angeles County
Topanga Canyon: Evacuation warning issued for the area around Santa Maria Road in the Owen Fire burn scar.
Soledad Canyon: Evacuation warning issued for the Agua Fire Burn scar east of Acton.
Juniper Hills: Evacuation warning issued for Juniper Hills and Valyermo area.
San Gabriel Mountains: Evacuation warnings are in effect for areas near the Bobcat Fire (north end) and Lake Fire burn scars.
An evacuation warning is still in effect for Matilija Canyon, North Fork and Camino Cielo (Unincorporated Ojai)
Orange County
A voluntary evacuation warning was issued for Irvine Lake, Black Star and Baker Canyon, Silverado Canyon, Williams Canyon, Modjeska Canyon, Live Oak and North Traduce Canyon, and Traduce, Rose, and Holy Jim Canyons.
Canyon residents were strongly encouraged to prepare and voluntarily evacuate on Sunday, especially those with disabilities, access and/or functional needs, and canyon residents with large animals.
Those in landslide prone areas like the Palos Verdes Peninsula should be on the lookout for indications of land movement, including the formation of new cracks, the fracturing of underground utilities, doors and windows falling out of plumb and sounds of creaks and groans coming from the ground.
Los Angeles County Fire Department locations also have sandbags and sand.
Sand and sandbags are available at these locations in Orange County.
Understanding National Weather Service warnings
Here’s an excerpt from our guide to understanding flood warnings, if any are issued:
Flood advisories are how the NWS begins to raise the alarm. The goal is to give people enough time to take action.
Flood watches are your indicators to get prepared to move.
Aflood warning is issued when a hazardous weather event is imminent or already happening. When one is issued for your area, you need to get to higher ground immediately.
A flash flood warning is issued when a flash flood is coming or in progress. Flash floods are sudden and violent floods that can start within minutes.
If you're in L.A. County and need sand bags you can find some at local fire houses.
Staying safe when the winds are high
Watch for traffic signals that may be out. Approach those intersections as four-way stops.
Make sure you have a battery-operated radio and flashlights. Check the batteries to make sure they are fresh. Use flashlights for lighting during a power outage; do not use candles because they may pose a significant fire hazard.
If you’re in a vehicle with a fallen power line on it, stay in the vehicle and remain calm until help arrives. It is OK to use your cellphone to call 911. If you must leave the vehicle, remember to exit away from downed power lines and exit by jumping from the vehicle and landing with both feet together. You must not touch the vehicle and the ground at the same time. Then proceed away from the vehicle by shuffling and not picking up your feet until you are several yards away.
Water and electricity don’t mix. Water is an excellent conductor of electricity. Do not step in or enter any water that a downed power line may be touching.
Do not use any equipment inside that is designed for outdoor heating or cooking. Such equipment can emit carbon monoxide and other toxic gases.
If you use a generator, place it outdoors and plug individual appliances directly into it, using a heavy-duty extension cord. Connecting generators directly to household circuits creates “backfeed,” which is dangerous to repair crews.
Leave the doors of your refrigerator and freezer closed to keep food as fresh as possible. Place blocks of ice inside to help keep food cold. Check food carefully for signs of spoilage.
Check on your neighbors to make sure everyone is safe.
Tips on staying warm
State law requires residential units to have heating systems that can keep indoor temperatures at a minimum of 70 degrees. That means every dwelling unit and guest room offered for rent or lease should offer heating equipment, usually central air conditioning (A/C) or a wall heater. — Caitlin Hernández
Use heat smartly to save money: Cranking things like the A/C and wall heaters can be expensive. If money is tight, be judicious about how and when you use your utilities. For example, only use heaters at night or only set the thermostat to around 70 degrees.
Open and close those vents: If you have central A/C, look at where the vents are around your home. Are any open in places where you don’t stay long? Practice opening and closing those so warm air only goes where you need it (most vents should have a small toggle lever). Humidifiers can also help you warm things up — and it’s useful to add moisture into our dry air.
Adjust your wall heaters: If you have a wall heater, you can change the output by adjusting the knob (usually at the bottom). Since wall heaters can only warm the areas where they’re placed, it’s essential to close doors to rooms you won’t be in so hot air doesn’t get wasted.
Turn on your ceiling fan (really): If you have a ceiling fan, try turning it on. This sounds counterintuitive, but there’s science behind it. The direction a fan turns can push air in different directions, and since hot air floats up, you’ll want to move that around. Your fan should spin clockwise to create an updraft to circulate. Not all fans will have this option, though.
Jacob Margolis, who cover science, is tracking the storm and adding updates along Gillian Morán Pérez, Yusra Farzan, Makenna Sievertson, Jill Replogle and others. Jason Wells, the managing editor for daily news, and senior editor, George Kiryama, have been overseeing coverage.
This is a developing story. We fact check everything and rely only on information from credible sources (think fire, police, government officials and reporters on the ground). Sometimes, however, we make mistakes and/or initial reports turn out to be wrong. In all cases, we strive to bring you the most accurate information in real time and will update this story as new information becomes available.
People wait in line to cast ballots during early voting at a polling station in Black Mountain, North Carolina, on Friday.
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Allison Joyce
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AFP via Getty Images
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Topline:
Federal prosecutors sent letters to county registrars across California on Friday demanding that local officials set aside and verify ballots that the Department of Justice said may belong to noncitizens, according to the Los Angeles County registrar and a letter obtained by The Associated Press.
Why now: The letters are the latest escalation in a legal battle between California and President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice, which has recently focused on the state in its efforts to root out noncitizen voting ahead of the midterm elections. Data shows illegal voting by people who aren’t U.S. citizens is incredibly rare, difficult to prove and has not been shown to change the outcome of races.
The backstory: The letters on Friday came on the heels of statewide sweep by federal authorities earlier in the week, where 28 people from the list of 20,000 were charged with illegally registering to vote. Some were also charged with illegally voting and lying on naturalization paperwork. Those charges could lead to years in prison.
Federal prosecutors sent letters to county registrars across California on Friday demanding that local officials set aside and verify ballots that the Department of Justice said may belong to noncitizens, according to the Los Angeles County registrar and a letter obtained by The Associated Press.
The letters are the latest escalation in a legal battle between California and President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice, which has recently focused on the state in its efforts to root out noncitizen voting ahead of the midterm elections. Data shows illegal voting by people who aren’t U.S. citizens is incredibly rare, difficult to prove and has not been shown to change the outcome of races.
Earlier this month, the federal government targeted Los Angeles County and the California Secretary of State’s office in a lawsuit that aimed to block them from counting the votes of roughly 20,000 people who are “likely” noncitizen voters. A hearing on the case is scheduled for Tuesday.
The Trump administration asked the 9th Circuit court of appeals to rule on the lawsuit barring a decision from the district judge assigned to the case. They set a deadline for Saturday.
Now, according to the LA County registrar’s office, at least 18 counties across the state have received similar letters. They have been given a 48 hour deadline to provide identifying information corresponding with ballots that the federal government believes were sent to noncitizens illegally registered to vote. The letter requests that county officials also sequester any ballots where citizenship cannot be verified.
“Any election official who knowingly processes the ballot of a noncitizen is opening themselves to legal jeopardy,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli.
The Justice Department is asking counties to send information about the voters it suspects are noncitizens including social security numbers, ID information, a copy of their registration and more.
That information can help the government and state quickly assess each person suspected of illegally registering to vote, said the letter sent to San Bernardino County voting officials. The letter says the government’s list of suspected noncitizen voters includes 1,133 people from the inland Southern California county.
California’s secretary of state and the Los Angeles County registrar have opposed the federal government’s demands. In legal filings, lawyers for California say the request threatens to delay the certification of the vote and undermine the legitimacy of the November midterms. They have also argued that the federal government’s data is unreliable and that their demands risk disenfranchisement of citizens.
Voting is underway in California, with the state’s more than 23 million registered voters receiving ballots in the mail earlier this month. The state said in legal filings that over 330,000 mail-in ballots have already been counted.
The letters on Friday came on the heels of statewide sweep by federal authorities earlier in the week, where 28 people from the list of 20,000 were charged with illegally registering to vote. Some were also charged with illegally voting and lying on naturalization paperwork. Those charges could lead to years in prison.
A cyclist rides through campus at Cal State Long Beach in Long Beach on July 25, 2022.
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Pablo Unzueta
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CalMatters
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Topline:
The California State University faculty union is asking its members to authorize a strike.
Why now: This summer, the California Faculty Association declared an impasse after 16 months of negotiation with the CSU. The union’s president said university officials negotiating with the union have “not been honest agents.”
Why it matters: The union, which represents 29,000 professors and other university employees, is seeking salary increases, changes to faculty workloads and protections related to the use of artificial intelligence.
The California State University faculty union is asking its members to authorize a strike, as negotiations with the California State University system remain stalled.
This summer, the California Faculty Association declared an impasse after 16 months of negotiation with the CSU. The union’s president said university officials negotiating with the union have “not been honest agents.”
If a majority of members approve the strike authorization, voting from Oct. 26 through Nov. 19, CFA leadership would be authorized to call a strike.
The union, which represents 29,000 professors and other university employees, is seeking salary increases, changes to faculty workloads and protections related to the use of artificial intelligence.
In recent weeks, CSU has reached tentative agreements with three unions: the Statewide University Police Association, the United Auto Workers Local 4123 and Academic Professionals of California. Together, the agreements cover 14,000 university employees.
The tentative agreements, which must be approved by union members and CSU’s Board of Trustees, include an 8% salary increase over two years, along with one-time raises negotiated by each bargaining unit.
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Attendees of the 2026 Tall Clubs International convention in front of Universal City Walk.
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Courtesy Michele Cripps and William Walter Wiseman II
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Topline:
There's an international club for tall people that started in Los Angeles. It's also a little bit of a support group. And yes, it can be tough to be tall. I am 6 feet, hear me out.
Why it matters: Complaining about being able to see over a crowd may sound silly, but height can be a love-hate relationship for many people, particularly towering women and children who feel like they just don’t fit in.
Why now: Well, that’s where a worldwide social club for tall people comes in, but whether it'll survive to its 100th birthday is in question.
Read on ... to learn more, including how to join.
It can be tough to be tall. I am 6 feet, hear me out.
And yes, complaining about being able to see over a crowd may sound silly. But height can be a love-hate relationship for many people, particularly towering women and children who feel like they just don’t fit in.
Well, that’s where a worldwide social club for tall people comes in, but whether it’ll reach its 100th birthday is in question.
Tall Clubs International is an organization spanning more than a dozen states and several countries that offers tall adults a chance to connect and commiserate. The original chapter, founded in Los Angeles in 1938, is called the California Tip Toppers.
Tall Clubs International
How to get involved
You can learn more about Tall Clubs International here, including the original 1938 article that sparked the organization.
You can find your nearest chapter and contact information here.
California Tip Toppers have higher height requirements than some of the other chapters.
You can learn more about becoming a “member-at-large” or starting a new tall club in your town here.
Tall Clubs International also does philanthropic work.
You can learn more about scholarship opportunities for tall students here.
Tall Clubs International raises money for the Marfan Foundation. Marfan syndrome is a genetic connective tissue disorder that club officials say typically comes with tall people. You can learn more here.
To get into the L.A. group, men have to be 6 feet 4 inches or taller, and women have to be at least 6 feet. One of the tallest members of the organization is 7 feet 2 inches, and honestly, I couldn’t help but perk up at the opportunity to feel short for once in my life.
At 13, I was still growing at 5 feet 10, towering over almost every kid in my freshman high school class. One of the first questions people still ask me is whether I played volleyball or basketball, and I’ve learned to laugh at the look they get when I say I preferred theater.
“People see how tall you are, they expect ‘Oh, you're going to be great on the basketball court,’” said Michele Cripps, a 6-foot-1 member of the California Tip Toppers, who joined in 1996. She's married to William Walter Wiseman II, a fellow member. “Well, I'm sorry, white girls can't jump sometimes, and I'm one of them.”
Some of the tall club members are generational, encouraged to join by their parents or older relatives, which has started to pose its own problems as the chapters get older.
What’s the big deal anyways?
William Walter Wiseman II and Michele Cripps at the 2026 Tall Clubs International convention in Hollywood.
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Courtesy Michele Cripps and William Walter Wiseman II
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The chapters became a way for tall people to trade practical tips, like which stores sold pants that actually covered your ankles or shoes that didn’t need to be specially made.
“I was always being kidded about my pants being too short or my clothes not fitting correctly,” said Wiseman, who's nearly 6 feet 9 and also wasn’t much of a basketball player. “And as I grew as an adult, people are a little bit afraid to approach people that are tall.”
Wiseman has a good sense of humor about his height, cracking jokes that I’ve added to my arsenal when answering “how’s the weather up there?” But he doesn’t gloss over the pain points either — Wiseman can’t fit into cars or roller coasters, hotel beds are never long enough, and airplanes can be an expensive nightmare.
“It's not just the socialization of being tall, but it's also the physicality of it,” he said. “It's almost a handicap to be tall.”
Members of the Tall Club of Orange County at the 2026 convention.
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Courtesy Michele Cripps and William Walter Wiseman II
)
Cripps said she was a skinny kid, but she couldn’t help but feel “huge” growing up a head above everyone else, which hurt her young self-esteem and made dating more difficult.
The clubs gave them both a chance to see eye to eye with a room full of people for the first time, and potentially even find a partner. Wiseman’s parents met in the Dayton Altitudians tall club in Ohio, decades before Wiseman and Cripps met through their own California clubs.
“The people that married inside the club stayed married,” said Wiseman, who lives in Torrance with Cripps. “The people that married outside of the club got divorced.”
A Dayton Daily News clipping of William Walter Wiseman II's father measuring tall teens in the Dayton, Ohio area from November 19, 1958.
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Courtesy William Walter Wiseman II
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Future of the club in question
But now, the California Tip Toppers is having trouble bringing in new, younger members — a recruitment crisis that’s essentially dissolved groups in other areas, Wiseman said.
Members of the California Tip Toppers at the 2026 convention.
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Courtesy Michele Cripps and William Walter Wiseman II
)
“We're facing the same challenges like all other clubs,” Cripps and Wiseman said, jumping in to finish each other’s thoughts. “Some of it could be generational. Some of it's that since COVID, the clubs have not been quite as active as they used to be. Some people [don’t have] homes to open up anymore … and we're all getting older.”
The club is at a crossroads: Get new members on board or fade away. The couple seems to have made it a mission to rejuvenate the California Tip Toppers, but Cripps was frank when she said they’re not sure how to get more people involved, whether it's fresh events or outreach opportunities.
At the end of the day, they’re hoping the club and the community it fosters can help others learn how to “stand tall” and be proud.
The clubs crown a new Miss Tall International at a formal pageant held during the annual convention. The former Miss Tall Clubs International that were at the 2026 convention from left to right: Susan Hopkins, 2019, from the Tall Club of Orange County, Martine Whitford, 1959, from the Los Angeles Higher Ups, Norma Forrest, 1996, from the Tall Club of Toronto and Mary Eleman, 2022, from the Central Arizona Tall Society.
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Courtesy Michele Cripps and William Walter Wiseman II
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Members of the Tall Clubs International convention committee. From left to right: Barry Umbs from Milwaukee, William Walter Wiseman II from the California Tip Toppers, Jim Nelson from the Paramount Tall Club-Chicago and Michele Cripps from the California Tip Toppers.
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Courtesy Michele Cripps and William Walter Wiseman II
)
“It’s a challenge, but it’s something that was given to us,” Cripps said. “I say as I've aged, I should have listened to my mother, I should have stood up tall.”
Moms everywhere, mine included, rejoice.
“Everybody wants to be something different than they have,” Cripps continued. “So, try and embrace what you have. Life is too short, and it goes too quick.”
Josie Huang
is a reporter and Weekend Edition host who spotlights the people and places at the heart of our region.
Published October 23, 2026 6:05 PM
Jack Parsons used an area of the Arroyo Secco known as Devil's Gate as his rocket laboratory.
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Public domain
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Topline:
Paranormal investigator David Kalbeitzer at an event Saturday night explores Pasadena's past, one where rocket science meets ritual magic and ghost stories echo through its grandest buildings.
The backstory: Kalbeitzer began digging into Pasadena’s unusual history after buying a Victorian home north of Old Town that he says is haunted by a benevolent spirit.
Wild stories: Kalbeitzer found the lore to include rocket pioneer Jack Parsons' ritual magic and muckraker Upton Sinclair's experiments in telepathy.
The event: The talk at Mesmer Mesmer in Old Town is currently full, but there's a wait list and Kalbeitzer plans to give more talks at the shop.
Beyond the Rose Bowl and historic bungalows, Pasadena has stranger tales to tell. David Kalbeitzer has been seeking out those stories where rocket science meets the occult and ghosts haunt the city’s grandest buildings.
For Kalbeitzer, a Disney executive who investigates the paranormal in his free time, his fascination with the city’s mysterious side started when he bought a Victorian north of Old Town.
He sensed a spirit at the open house a dozen years ago and took it as a reason to move his family to Pasadena. Then he started learning the city’s history.
David Kalbeitzer, a paranormal investigator from Pasadena, is giving a talk about the city's strange history Saturday night in Old Town.
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Courtesy of David Kalbeitzer
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“I realized, ‘Oh, this place called us just as much as we were looking for it,’” he said.
On Saturday night, he’s sharing the lore he’s collected at Mesmer Mesmer an Old Town shop and event space. While the event is full, there’s a waitlist, and more talks featuring Kalbeitzer are in the works.
A city of ghost stories
Ask Kalbeitzer about haunted Pasadena, and the list stretches from alleyways to the Colorado Street Bridge to Castle Green, the turreted former hotel overlooking Central Park.
“The Pasadena Playhouse theater is, you know, very haunted,” he added.
He says theatergoers have reported hearing disembodied voices.
Theatergoers over the years have described hearing voices and seeing apparitions at the Pasadena Playhouse.
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Jeff Lorch
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Courtesy of Pasadena Playhouse
)
“And you look, and there’s no one there, or apparitions that have been seen sort of standing in the corner, and then you walk up, and they kind of disappear like shadowy figures,” he said.
As for the spirit that helped draw him to his current Pasadena home?
Kalbeitzer says she’s still around — and his psychic friend Michael Kouri shared her name: Dolores.
“It’s actually haunted by a very kind ghost that looks out for the house, protects my family and has been able to activate our alarm,” he said.
Having a Dolores in the house might send some people running, but Kalbeitzer said he grew up in a haunted house in Idaho Falls, Idaho.
And when his family moved to Charleston, South Carolina, a teenage Kalbeitzer started seeking out places known for paranormal activity.
Rocket science, ritual magic and mind-reading
Having lived in different neighborhoods in L.A., Kalbeitzer says there’s something uniquely otherworldly about Pasadena — and it goes beyond ghost stories.
He said the city has an energy that draws people exploring the unknown, perhaps most famously Jack Parsons.
The rocket pioneer who helped launch the Jet Propulsion Laboratory also practiced ritual magic at his Pasadena home with the likes of L. Ron Hubbard before he founded Scientology.
“Many people call it the occult," Kalbeitzer said. "I don’t know that I fully subscribe to that, but there is spiritualism and occult mixed in there."
Then there was Upton Sinclair, the muckraking author of The Jungle, whose interests while living in Pasadena extended to telepathy and séances.
Upton Sinclair, pictured with his wife Mary Craig Sinclair in 1935, several years after he published a book examining her reported telepathy.
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Los Angeles Times via Wikimedia Commons
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In 1930, Sinclair published Mental Radio, a book about experiments in mind-reading. Albert Einstein provided a preface. Yes, that Einstein, who would spend the following winter at Caltech expanding on the theories of relativity and cosmology.
“It’s the craziest mixture of things that were happening at that time and all of it at the same time,” Kalbeitzer said.
A presence in the shop
The event couldn’t have found a more appropriate venue.
Since opening five months ago in Old Town, Mesmer Mesmer has embraced the dark and mysterious, offering tarot and crystal readings and hosting events on subjects such as hip-hop’s relationship with ghosts.
Tyke O'Brien opened her shop Mesmer Mesmer earlier this year to create a third space and offer books and esoterica alongside clothing.
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Tyke O'Brien
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At that event, a medium told owner Tyke O’Brien she could sense a presence in the shop, which formerly housed a bridal store.
“She goes, ‘Do you ever feel it?’ And I’m like, ‘I am such a bummer,” O’Brien recounted. “I wish I could say yes."
The same can be said for this writer who’s lived and worked in and around Pasadena for years without so much as a brush with the otherworldly.
Kalbeitzer, on the other hand, reports supernatural encounters all around town.
“Everyone has the ability to have those experiences," he said. "But I do think how you see yourself in the world has a lot more to do with it, and whether you want to have those experiences."
Dark & Strange in Pasadena
When: Saturday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. Where:Mesmer Mesmer, 65 E. Holly St, Pasadena
The event is currently full but there's a wait list and Kalbeitzer plans to give more talks at the shop.
