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It's Raining In LA, And We All Know How That's Going. There's Even A Chance Of Thunder And Hail

We really shouldn't be surprised. We knew rain was on the way. We know that more accidents happen when water is falling from the sky. We know Angelenos have a reputation for not being able to drive in the rain (we looked into that here).
It's a cold, wet slog all over Southern California today as rainy conditions and accidents hampered commutes.
We can’t stress this enough, 🌧 does not cause crashes, how you drive in the 🌧 does. Turn your lights on. SLOW DOWN, slow down, slow down. Leave EXTRA SPACE between your 🚗 & the 🚙 ahead of you. Drive in the middle lanes, outside lanes tend to flood.NEVER🚗through flood waters
— CHP PIO - LA County (@CHPsouthern) November 29, 2018
Caltrans' traffic map shows the current nightmare on the roads and multiple agencies are tweeting photos of the mayhem drivers and authorities are witnessing today.
EB SR-134 at Figueroa St. - 3 right lanes CLOSED - HOV & left lane OPEN - Semi over embankment - until further notice @CHPsouthern #SlowDownMoveOver https://t.co/xbyTKqK844 pic.twitter.com/VLzxACdRjZ
— Caltrans District 7 (@CaltransDist7) November 29, 2018
NB 101 South of Barham - big rig cab caught on fire no spill or haz mat conditions. 4 left lanes closed. 2 right lanes open. pic.twitter.com/8l1LZ6fsPl
— Caltrans District 7 (@CaltransDist7) November 29, 2018
WB SR-118 at Topanga Cyn Bl - ALL LANES CLOSED - traffic taken off at Topanga - jackknifed big rig with 20K lbs. of beverages - until further notice pic.twitter.com/r5z0h88IU8
— Caltrans District 7 (@CaltransDist7) November 29, 2018
There's even a chance of thunderstorms and hail in the region, according to the National Weather Service.
At 1250 pm, organized area of heavy showers and isolated thunderstorms moving into western SBA county, expected to move eastward into Ventura and LA counties this afternoon and evening. #LArain #cawx #LAWeather #WoolseyFire pic.twitter.com/XanWMxJJFD
— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) November 29, 2018
A Los Angeles Fire Department helicopter crew had to rescue a man out of the L.A. River in the Atwater Village area Thursday morning. The man was found clinging to a tree mid-channel as the water rose in the storm. The crew hoisted him to safety and transported him to a local hospital, where he is being treated for hypothermia, according to LAFD spokesman Brian Humphrey.
#LASD and @LACOFD continue to monitor #LARain. We have multiple resources including @SEBLASD Super Puma, search and rescue teams, & swiftwater response equipment incase of mudslides or flash floods. Keeping our Communities Safe by #Teamwork pic.twitter.com/bQTzDrPEoW
— LA County Sheriffs (@LASDHQ) November 29, 2018
While most Angelenos will be contending with traffic today, residents in and around the burn zones of recent wildfires are bracing for possible mudslides and debris flow.
LAist/KPCC reporters Emily Dugdale and Sharon McNary are in Malibu and Agoura Hills, respectively, to monitor the risk in the aftermath of the deadly Woolsey Fire, which devastated the Santa Monica Mountains and nearby communties.
☔️ 🚨 Rain in SoCal! 🚨 ☔️ I’m cruising around Malibu this morning, where homeowners in #woolseyfire burn areas prepared for flooding by fortifying their property with sandbags. @KPCC @LAist pic.twitter.com/WdkQKu8urM
— Emily Elena Dugdale (she/her) (@eedugdale) November 29, 2018
There’s a lot of water coming down out of the hills that burned in the Woolsey fire and it’s draining into this debris basin. This is in Agoura Hills off Calle Robleda. pic.twitter.com/LEd0mlLB0f
— Sharon McNary (@KPCCsharon) November 29, 2018
Pepperdine University canceled classes and closed offices at its Malibu campus Thursday, citing "rain in the area and uncertainty with road conditions."
The U.S. Geological Survey has issued a map showing an initial assesment of the areas most likely to experience debris flows during an intense rain.

In Orange County, mandatory evacuation orders were issued for residents in Trabuco Creek, near where the Holy Fireburned in August. A voluntary evacuation order was given to Rose Canyon residents.
"Hard road closures are in effect at Trabuco Canyon at Rose Canyon and Trabuco Canyon Road at Robinson Ranch Road," the Orange County Sheriff's Department tweeted.
Additional evacuations have been issued in Riverside County. A list, maps and the lastest information can be found here.
This post is no longer being updated, but for more information and updates as the evening wears on, here are some accounts to check:
- Caltrans District 7
- National Weather Service LosAngeles
- LAFD Central
- CAL FIRE Riverside
- LA County Sheriff's
- OC Sheriff, CA
- RivCoReady
- City of Malibu
UPDATES:
6:08 p.m.: This article was updated with accounts to follow for more information as the night wears on.
1:05 p.m.: This article was updated with more recent information from the National Weather Service.
12:03 p.m.: This article was updated with information about a river rescue.
10:40 a.m.: This article was updated with information about evacuations in the area of the Holy Fire burn zone.
This article was originally published at 9:08 a.m.
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