Mudslide Threat Forces Valley Residents To Evacuate

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Pounding rains over the weekend has left homes in the San Fernando Valley at risk of mudslides and residents forced to evacuate in the face of another week of storms.

KNX 1070's Pete Demetriou reports at least five homes have been ordered to evacuate their properties, with at least seven other owners voluntarily deciding to leave.

Three large storm cells dumped as much as two inches of rain per hour, resulting in super-saturation of the hillsides stretching up almost 100 feet above the homes on North Regalo Drive in Woodland Hills.

A quick check of at least five homes showed that the mud had either reached and filled retaining walls at the property lines, and in some cases had flowed out through concrete gutters laid out in back yards out into the streets.

As the rain tapers off ahead of more storms in the coming days, officials hope the hillsides won't give out — but city engineers will immediately begin assessing what the real risks are to these and other homes.

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