Southern California bracing for new set of storms

Wednesday December 18, 2002

LOS ANGELES (AP) Southern California residents are bracing for the next wave of deadly storms to move through the area later this week as they recover from a deluge that brought record levels of rain and contributed to the state's death toll.

Forecasters said heavy rains could return to Southern California late Thursday or early Friday.

The storm that whipped through the region earlier this week knocked out power lines, caused mudslides and flooded streets. Its lingering effects were felt Tuesday with strong winds, scattered showers and snowfall that forced the closure of Interstate 5 through the Grapevine.

At least five people were killed in storm-related accidents in Southern California. Three women were killed and two others were rescued as they tried to cross a storm-swollen creek when a surge of water swept their car off a narrow farm road. The two women who survived Monday's accident managed to get out of the vehicle that overturned.

The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office identified the victims as: Rosa Maria Marcos Santos, 40; Guillermina Hernandez Ramos, 21; and Maria Isabel Melquiades Mora, 24.

The two surviving women Maria Garcia, 29, and Lucia Gomez, 25 were treated at a hospital and released.

Brandon Webb told the San Diego Union-Tribune and the Los Angeles Times that he warned the women not to drive across the creek but it was not clear whether the women, who did not speak English, understood him.

Also on Monday, a three-vehicle accident involving a tour bus killed two and injured 23. A truck driver, Felipe Palomo, 49, of Indio, and the driver of a Honda, Hugo Godoy, 41, of Perris died on Highway 60 after Palomo's vehicle swerved and hit the Honda. Godoy's car was struck by the bus carrying 23 passengers, all of whom suffered minor to moderate injuries.

Monday's storm brought needed water to a drought-stricken state. Nearly two inches of rain fell in downtown Los Angeles, which broke a daily record set in 1940. About two inches of snow fell above 5,000 feet in Los Angeles County while the mountain areas saw at least a foot of fresh snow.

Mudslides also were expected to be a problem because of heavy rains and a series of fires over the summer that left many foothills charred. At least two mudslides brought trouble to roads in the San Gabriel Mountains, where the Williams fire burned more than 38,000 acres in September.

Forecasters said the storms may continue for weeks or even months. The tropical Pacific has been warmed by El Nino, the weather phenomenon that periodically drenches California with heavy winter rains.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)