Rain And Wind Batter Southland In Second Day Of Wild Weather; Mud Flows Threaten Homes

PASADENA (CBSLA.com/AP) — The latest phase in a series of storms targeting Southern California brought some wild weather to the region Wednesday.

In Pasadena, flowing mud and debris ripped a retaining wall out of the ground and sent them cascading down the hillside, in the direction of a home.

A voluntary evacuation order was in place for the home, but the homeowner, Izidor Mesesan, said he would stay despite his concerns.

"I'm concerned for the safety of my family and everyone else around, and, of course, my house," he said.

The retaining wall was built to protect a $2 million home that was listed for sale but has been taken off the market.

Voluntary evacuations were also in place in Camarillo Springs, where streams of water were flowing from a hillside near several homes that were destroyed and red-tagged by debris flow in Dec. 2014.

Since then, $2 million was spent to reinforce the hillside. The hills appeared to be holding through the heavy rains.

"Everything looks great," said Jean Kelly, a Camarillo Springs resident who stayed in her home through the voluntary evacuation.

In the Colby Fire burn area, residents watched as mud flowed off charred hillsides, threatening homes below.

Ed Heinlein spent $100,000 on retaining walls and barriers to keep mud at bay.

As mud flowed into his backyard on Wednesday, he admitted it will be tough to limit mud flows in the face of torrential downpours.

In Monrovia, residents also watched as water cascaded down their driveways in a muddy torrent.

Monrovia resident Ken Behrmanns said he's willing to evacuate if necessary.

"When it comes down so hard ... it changes everything," he said.

Flash flood warnings were issued on Wednesday for San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

In Redlands, drivers found hazardous conditions, as debris and mud flowed onto streets.

"All of sudden you're up to your winshield in mud," said Redlands Police Department volunteer Perry Whae.

San Timoteo Canyon Road remained closed on Wednesday night due to standing water, rocks and other debris.

The heavy rains also converted local flood control basin into rivers of mud.

And authorities received a call of a body floating in the Santa Ana River in Eastvale, prompting a search by a water rescue task force. No body was found.

The latest system packed colder temperatures, stronger winds and heavier rainfall than the previous ones that have lined up since the weekend and brought much-needed rain to the drought-stricken state.

In all, the current storm could dump as much as three inches of rain in coastal and valley areas and up to four inches at higher elevations, said NWS meteorologist Curt Kaplan.

Another less powerful El Nino storm was right behind and expected to hit land Thursday,

Despite the potential for flooding and mudslides, the wet weather was welcome news for a state suffering from a severe drought. But officials warned residents against abandoning conservation efforts and reverting to wasteful water-use habits.

California's water deficit is so deep after four years of drought that a steady parade of storms will be needed for years to come, said Mike Anderson, climatologist for the state Department of Water Resources.

The current El Nino system -- a natural warming of the central Pacific Ocean that interacts with the atmosphere and changes weather worldwide -- has tied a system in 1997-1998 as the strongest on record, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center said.

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