Atmospheric river lashes California with heavy rain and wind

The Pacific Coast Highway along California's coast is closed in at least two places after storm damage made it unsafe, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) said Monday. 

In Ventura County, which is directly above Los Angeles County, the highway is closed in both directions from Las Posas Road to Sycamore Canyon Road "due to washed out road from storm erosion," Caltrans District 7 said in a post on X. 

The highway is also closed both ways in Monterey County near Limekiln State Park due to a landslide on the road, Caltrans District 5 said in a post on X. 

As a powerful atmospheric river-fueled storm continues to bring heavy rain and gusty winds slamming California, flight delays have increased across major state airports.

Here are the latest flight cancellations and delays into and out of major airports for the last 48 hours (as of 7:40 p.m. PT), according to FlightAware: 

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

Sacramento International Airport (SMF)

San Diego International Airport (SAN)

Metro Oakland International Airport (OAK)

Heavy snowfall associated with the atmospheric river-fueled storm system over California has been helping with the snowpack accumulation in the Sierra Nevada mountains, which is crucial to the water supply. 

Snowpack is the amount or thickness of snow that accumulates on the ground, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. Snowpack in the mountains "plays a key role in the water cycle" in the Western US, the EPA says, "storing water in the winter when the snow falls and releasing it as runoff in spring and summer when the snow melts."

As of February 5, the California snowpack is at 72% of normal, which is up 20% from a week ago and up 12% from just three days ago, according to the National Weather Service (NWS):

Here are the latest preliminary snowfall reports across the Sierra Nevada mountain range, according to the NWS: 

Snowfall is ongoing across the mountain range, so additional relief is expected.

Winter storm warnings remain for the Sierra Nevada range until Tuesday morning, where snowfall totals of up to a foot are possible across lower elevations and snowfall up to 7 feet is possible on the higher peaks.

While the damage across Los Angeles County was not as significant as officials prepared for, it was “more like a thousand cuts,” said Lindsey Horvath, chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.    

Two evacuations orders remain in place — one at the Owen Fire burn scar in Topanga Canyon and one at the Agua Fire burn scar near Acton, Horvath said.  

The Los Angeles River is at one-third of its capacity as of 4 p.m. PT, she said, and county storm water facilities have captured 1.3 billion gallons of water, which she said can serve over 32,000 homes for over a year.

President Joe Biden unexpectedly made comments via phone during a news conference about flooding in Los Angeles Monday, saying responders are "undergoing one hell of an operation" amid catastrophic flash flooding.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was on the phone with Biden and asked him if he wanted to say a few words during the presser.

Biden said he just spoke with California Gov. Gavin Newsom and they are working closely to get resources mobilized.

After he made the comments, Bass thanked the president and then walked away from the podium to continue the conversation privately.  

The Los Angeles Fire Department rescued a man who jumped into the rapidly flowing Los Angeles River trying to save his dog.

"Crews responded to several bridges and access points down river and located the canine, who had managed to swim safely to the edge and escape the rapids," the LAFD said in an Instagram post.

An LAFD helicopter lifted the man out of the water and he was sent to hospital, while his dog was taken to a local shelter for care for minor injuries.

Separately, the Los Angeles County Fire Department rescued 16 people and 5 cats from flooded areas during two swift water responses, said Lindsey Horvath, chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.  

Over 120 mudslides and debris flows were reported in the city of Los Angeles after a storm soaked the area, fire chief Kristin Crowley said during a news conference Monday.  

Officials are investigating the structural safety of approximately 25 buildings that “were damaged due to heavy rainfall and mudslides,” she said.

Crews are working to clear and repair roads and infrastructure affected by the storms, and the Department of Water and Power is working to restore power in some areas. 

One hundred unhoused people were evacuated from a tiny home complex Monday due to flooding, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said during a news conference.  

“We are evacuating them right now, and we are housing them in a shelter nearby,” she said, adding the shelter in which they were placed was not being used previously.

Los Angeles was home to an estimated 75,518 unhoused people as of a 2023 report.

Los Angeles resident Dion Perraneau showed her home covered in 3-foot-deep mud as torrential rain and debris swept into her home around 4 a.m.

A glass sliding door had also shattered when the mudslide gushed into her home.

As Perraneau tries to clear the deluge left behind, she said she was also concerned whether insurance would cover any damages to the property, saying her agent mentioned it was unclear if they would cover anything to do with slides.