Jody Wodrich’s golf cart was a welcome sight to his wife and three children on Wednesday as he helped transport them — with groceries — from muddy Penrose Street through even muddier La Tuna Canyon Road.
“Daddy!” his children shouted as Wodrich pulled up in a blue golf cart with a smile to help load his family’s grocery items, which included dog food, toilet paper and tissues.
-
Burbank Water and Power crew continue their work as an RV (recreational vehicle), sits destroyed from a recent mudslide along Country Club Drive in Burbank on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018. (Photo by Ed Crisostomo, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
-
Burbank Police Dept., Sgt. Marsha Laufer, checks one of two automobiles destroyed during a recent mudslide along Country Club Drive in Burbank on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018. (Photo by Ed Crisostomo, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
-
Burbank Water and Power crew continue their work as an RV (recreational vehicle), sits destroyed from a recent mudslide along Country Club Drive in Burbank on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018. (Photo by Ed Crisostomo, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
-
Burbank Water and Power crew continue their work as an RV (recreational vehicle), sits destroyed from a recent mudslide along Country Club Drive in Burbank on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018. (Photo by Ed Crisostomo, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
-
Burbank Fire Dept. firefighter checks a storm basin where two automobiles were destroyed during a recent mudslide along Country Club Drive in Burbank on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018. (Photo by Ed Crisostomo, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
-
Burbank Police Dept., Sgt. Marsha Laufer, checks one of two automobiles destroyed during a recent mudslide along Country Club Drive in Burbank on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018. (Photo by Ed Crisostomo, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
-
Two automobiles sit in a storm basin destroyed during a recent mudslide along Country Club Drive in Burbank on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018. (Photo by Ed Crisostomo, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
-
A view of a home with damage after a recent mudslide along Country Club Drive in Burbank on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018. (Photo by Ed Crisostomo, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
-
A view of Sunset Debris Basin after a recent mudslide along Country Club Drive in Burbank on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018. (Photo by Ed Crisostomo, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
-
An automobile sits in a storm basin destroyed during a recent mudslide along Country Club Drive in Burbank on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018. (Photo by Ed Crisostomo, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
-
Utility Tree Service employees continue their work after a recent mudslide along Country Club Drive in Burbank on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018. (Photo by Ed Crisostomo, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
-
Burbank Water and Power crew continue their work after a recent mudslide along Country Club Drive in Burbank on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018. (Photo by Ed Crisostomo, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
-
A view of Sunset Debris Basin after a recent mudslide along Country Club Drive in Burbank on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018. (Photo by Ed Crisostomo, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
-
Saul Santamaria, Utility Tree Service employee, continues his work after a recent mudslide along Country Club Drive in Burbank on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018. (Photo by Ed Crisostomo, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
-
Emergency crew checks a neighborhood after a recent mudslide along Country Club Drive in Burbank on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018. (Photo by Ed Crisostomo, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
-
Burbank Police Dept., Sgt. Marsha Laufer, checks one of two automobiles destroyed during a recent mudslide along Country Club Drive in Burbank on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018. (Photo by Ed Crisostomo, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
-
A Southern California Gas Company employee continues his work after a recent mudslide along Country Club Drive in Burbank on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018. (Photo by Ed Crisostomo, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
-
Burbank Water and Power crew continue their work after a recent mudslide along Country Club Drive in Burbank on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018. (Photo by Ed Crisostomo, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
-
Two automobiles sit in a storm basin destroyed during a recent mudslide along Country Club Drive in Burbank on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018. (Photo by Ed Crisostomo, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Show Caption of Expand
“Thankfully we have a golf cart because a lot of people are not able to make (grocery trips) happen,” said Wodrich, 48, of Sun Valley. His wife Xochitl was forced to park on Penrose as some residents were not able to leave La Tuna Canyon.
In #SunValley today where this family is using a golf cart to get to their home on La Tuna Canyon Road because of yesterday’s #LARain & mud pic.twitter.com/PpFklhkeZ2
— Wes Woods II (@JournoWes) January 10, 2018
Cleanup of mud and debris continued Wednesday in the La Tuna Canyon area of Los Angeles and in Burbank, and some evacuations remained in place for those communities.
Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Margaret Stewart said cleanup of the area was anticipated to be completed sometime Wednesday evening.
Fire personnel, besides removing the mud and debris, were determining if there was any potential for more mudslides, added LAFD Chief Jaime Moore.
Residents of affected homes along La Tuna Canyon Road were temporarily allowed to travel the roadway and return home from 10 p.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Wednesday. The route was then shut down again for continued cleanup.
Wednesday evening, the Fire Department said La Tuna Canyon Road from Sunland Boulevard through the 9100 block was re-opening. “A hard closure will remain in effect for the rest of (the road) to the 210 Freeway until crews can complete the debris removal,” the agency said.
Some images from La Tuna Canyon Road in #SunValley today after #LARain on Tuesday pic.twitter.com/463QCzuJw5
— Wes Woods II (@JournoWes) January 10, 2018
Mother Grace D’Amico, 64, and daughter Teresa D’Amico, 28, were walking down La Tuna Canyon from their residence on the same street trying to figure out how long the roads would be blocked.
“We didn’t know what to expect,” said the mother as a tractor noisily pushed dirt into a trailer behind them.
She said she was “nervous” on Tuesday because of the intense rainfall.
“There were some moments that were scary,” Grace D’Amico said, adding her family lived just below the mandatory evacuation area. “It was very eerie. It was completely dead … no cars, no police action, nothing.”
The mother finally felt some relief when she woke up Wednesday morning and “saw the dam didn’t burst and we were OK,” adding their house wasn’t damaged.
The neighborhood in the mandatory evacuation area — which spanned from the 9100 to the 10500 block on La Tuna Canyon Road — was quiet and empty. Nearby a van and sedan sat dead in their tracks, overcome by the mud flow.
Some wrecked cars in #Burbank from #LARain & mud on Wednesday pic.twitter.com/XAa1JB3bzy
— Wes Woods II (@JournoWes) January 10, 2018
In Burbank, Country Club Drive remained closed and a mandatory evacuation was in effect for all homes east of Via Montana.
Two vehicles, completely trashed and rendered unrecognizable from the mud and rain, were moved to the side of mud-covered road.
Meanwhile, two other vehicles could be seen stuck in the mud in a nearby storm basin in the closed-off area, which felt like a ghost town as only local officials could be seen walking around.
More images from #Burbank (there are two vehicles stuck in water/mud and a separate vehicle show here off Country Club) after #LARain pic.twitter.com/VTrYybGRRv
— Wes Woods II (@JournoWes) January 10, 2018
Burbank police Sgt. Derek Green said approximately 50 homes — some with minor damage — were in that zone.
“It could be slightly more,” Green said. “I don’t have the exact number. It’s a very narrow stretch of road. At some points you can’t pass with two cars.”
Green said he expected power to be restored around 4 p.m. Wednesday while gas services were restored with the exception of one resident but debris still needed to be cleared and buildings and homes inspected.
“We’re hoping to repopulate by 10 p.m. (Wednesday),” Green said.
Additionally, he said, mud was being cleared with front loaders, so when residents return home they can shovel mud from their property onto the road and the city will take care of the rest.
There have been no injuries or fatalities, officials said.
Green said about six or eight residences — it was unclear if the number meant individuals or households–have stayed behind.
Residents and 12 Burbank city firefighters encountered heavy mud flow after debris topped Deer Canyon and Sunset Basins on Tuesday afternoon and were forced to shelter in place, but made it out, Green added.
“They were able to clear a pathway and those people were safely removed from that location (Tuesday) evening,” Green said.
Here’s how much rain the region got in the latest storm (in inches), according to the National Weather Service:
- Pasadena: 2.96
Pacoima Dam: 2.60
Hansen Dam: 2.57
Long Beach: 1.48
Burbank: 2.33
Redondo Beach: 1.44
Woodland Hills: 2.06
Alhambra: 2.08
LAX: 1.33
Pomona: 1.75
Mount Baldy: 4.36
San Gabriel Dam: 3.90
Hawthorne: 1.06
Riverside: 1.48
Hemet: 2.05
Rialto: 2.24
Yucaipa: 2.64
Ontario International Airport: 1.90
Cal State San Bernardino: 3.07
Cal State Fullerton: 1.29
Yorba Linda: 1.75
Anaheim Hills: 1.58
Costa Mesa: .91
Here’s the way the weather looks for the next several days:
•In the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys:
Mostly clear, with highs in the mid 70s and creeping up to low 80s by Monday. Lows in the mid 40s and 50s. By Wednesday it’ll be partly cloudy with highs in the mid 70s.
•In Orange County:
Inland areas will be partly cloudy with highs in the low 70s and rising to between 80 and 85 degrees by Saturday. Monday will be back in the mid-70s, falling to the low 70s by Wednesday.
In coastal areas, highs will be from 63 to 6 at the beaches with light winds and lows will be in the mid 40s to low 50s. High temperatures will rise to the mid 70s by the weekend, copming back down to the high 60s by Wednesday.
•In San Bernardino and Riverside counties:
In the valleys, look for highs in the mid 70s, rising to the low 80s by Saturday. By Wednesday it’ll be back to the mid 70s. Lows will be in the low 40s to low 50s.
In the mountains, expect highs in the mid to high 50s above 6,000 feet and high 50s to mid-60s below 6,000 feet. Lows will be from mid 20s to mid 30s. By the weekend, things will warm up to the mid to high 60s. And it’ll be mostly clear.
Source: National Weather Service
