Following Water Rescues, Santa Clarita Neighborhood Remains On Edge

SANTA CLARITA (CBSLA.com) – Erosion and flooding concerns continued Sunday for a Santa Clarita neighborhood where three people trapped in two different flooded cars near the Santa Clarita River were rescued Saturday afternoon.

Just after 3 p.m. Saturday, fire crews responded to Meadview Avenue and Placeritos Boulevard where water was rushing and flooding the road from Friday's storm.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department extended a ladder to two people in a car submerged in water. A man and his daughter were able to get on the roof of the car and then onto the ladder. Shortly after, a second car drifted along and fire crews were able to extend a ladder and rescue that man as well.

On Sunday, Meadview remained packed with mud and debris, as drivers took their chances navigating the roadway.

"We actually prefer when people don't try to drive through it after it rains, because it tears the dirt and makes it harder to drive through when it dries," said Tabby Brenemen, who lives in Placerita Canyon.

Residents say a number of homes in the Placerita Canyon area have been cut off to services like trash pickup because a garbage truck got stuck here last month, following heavy rains. So their trash has not been collected in three weeks.

"A lot of people back here have a lot of trash cans but they're starting to get full completely now," Newhall resident Stephen Gillis told KCAL9 Sunday.

Some people say they've had to drive or walk around the damaged road by cutting through their neighbors' properties. Brenemen watched the swift water rescues Saturday, but she worries about more emergencies here, because the washed out road is making life tough on people with medical conditions.

"The lady I live with, she's in the hospital right now for health things, so she has to get in and out a lot, so it's kind of hard with the road like that," Brenemen said.