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Photos: Rainy Weather Brings Crazy Floods, Overturns McDonald's Truck
After dealing with a hellish heat wave over the last couple of weeks, Angelenos woke up this morning to some muggy and rainy weather. While the rainfall is some sweet relief on our parched earth (hello drought), it also brought with it crazy floods, a horrid morning commute, and some much-needed rescuing in the L.A. River.
The rain was brought in from a low-pressure system that was full of moisture from the former tropical cyclone Linda. The rainfall was so strong that it even set a record in downtown L.A. for today, according to City News Service. In downtown, there was 2.6 inches of rainfall, and 2.26 inches in Culver City as of 8 a.m.
Unfortunately, the rainfall won't be helping out our lack of water situation very much—womp womp. The L.A. Times reports that between 80% and 90% of the rain in the Southland ends up in storm drains that head out to the ocean. In addition:
Locally, rain collects in one of 14 reservoirs in the mountains and is held for later use. At the same time, water in the system is shunted to sunken basins called "spreading grounds," where it slowly seeps into the ground and replenishes the local aquifer. About 38% of the county's water comes from local groundwater sources, according to a recent UCLA study.
They're making progress removing this overturned McDonalds trailer off the westbound 210 in Pasadena. #notLovin'it pic.twitter.com/uJiPIxM8FE
— eric spillman (@ericspillman) September 15, 2015
Firefighters had to rescue three people and dog from the swiftly-moving waters in the L.A. River over in Atwater Village and near Cypress Park.
Here's a video of the L.A. River flowing with a huge stream of water, something you don't see all the time:
The rain also led to some gnarly flooding throughout the city. Over 100 residents at a West Hollywood assisted living apartment complex located on the 800 block of West Knoll Drive had to be evacuated after rain came pouring through the roof, CBS Los Angeles reports. The three-story building had major flooding through the second and third floors of the building. Paramedics had to take one man to the hospital after he complained of chest pains, but there weren't any other reported injuries.
Flooding this am in WeHo. 3-story apt. bldg. evacuated. #knollic pic.twitter.com/BEoTwvy572
— LA County Fire Div 7 (@LACoFD_DivVII) September 15, 2015
Here are some more wild photos and videos of the floods, mud slides, and falling trees affecting the Southland:
Streets flooded at Grove/Francis in Ontario pic.twitter.com/oOXsx97yDd
— Julie Sone (@ABC7JulieSone) September 15, 2015
@myfoxla check out this branch that broke off and squished 2 cars in the parking lot at work#RainyDay pic.twitter.com/3FhLgJ2Fzf
— Jose Mireles (@josemireles) September 15, 2015
Bye bye water! Caltrans crews working to drain #flooding on I-5 NB @ Lankershim in Sun Valley. @ABC7 11am, tune in! pic.twitter.com/ivnTWqxTxQ
— Marc Cota-Robles (@abc7marccr) September 15, 2015
Street flooding at Moorpark & Coldwater Canyon Ave in #StudioCity pic.twitter.com/KBdchP1yqz
— Julie Sone (@ABC7JulieSone) September 15, 2015
FLOODING on NB/SB 710, NB traffic being diverted off at Florence & SB at Slauson @CHPsouthern pic.twitter.com/iD9nBBdk8d
— Caltrans District 7 (@CaltransDist7) September 15, 2015
OC Public Works crews respond to minor debris flow in Silverado Canyon. Report debris & mud flows to (714) 955-0333 pic.twitter.com/ip4zf5o0Ul
— Orange County Emergency Operations Center (@OrangeCountyEOC) September 15, 2015
And just how are Angelenos handling all of this rain? Well...
PEOPLE OF LOS ANGELES WHO HAVE FORGOTTEN WHAT THIS RAIN IS: it's like botox but for the cracks in parched earth. Or one big free car wash.
— Xeni Jardin is fully vaccinated (@xeni) September 15, 2015
me this a.m.: couldn't find rain jacket/umbrella, no clue what shoes to wear, briefly contemplated working from home #LAproblems #LATweather
— Annie Z. Yu (@anniezyu) September 15, 2015
There appears to be rain falling from the sky in Los Angeles. Residents are even more confused and disoriented than usual.
— Gregg Hurwitz (@GreggHurwitz) September 15, 2015
My mom realized she doesn't know how to use an umbrella.. #LAProblems
— kylie ⛽️ (@KylesHaim) September 15, 2015
This might be a normal rain anywhere else, but this is Los Angeles... We have flooding, sirens, 2 hour commutes, and pure chaos!
— Allison Parker (@allison_prkr) September 15, 2015
Laurel Canyon. Because driving through a waterfall, is like surfing via car, bruh. #LAproblems #Rainpocalypse
— Lucy Burton (@swirlOsquirrel) September 15, 2015
Thanks to the rain, the Mad Max-esque wasteland experience that's destined for Los Angeles has been postponed for at least 4 weeks, right?
— Splash News (@SplashNews) September 15, 2015
Even though 100-degree heat won't keep hikers away from Runyon Canyon, apparently rain will:
#runyoncanyon deserted today- #LARain kept everyone away! pic.twitter.com/RngITESvZP
— Liz Habib (@LizHabib) September 15, 2015