Storm pounds Southland; Azusa grocery store’s roof collapses

An at times intense storm moved out of Southern California on Friday after flooding roads and neighborhoods, causing crashes, congestion and several swept-away vehicles and prompting evacuation orders in recent burn areas.

Heavy rain pounded most of the region Thursday and may have caused part of the roof to collapse over a Smart & Final store in Azusa.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to a call about flooding at 5:52 p.m. Thursday in the 300 block of Foothill Boulevard, according to published reports.

There were customers inside at the time, but there were no reports of patients needing treatment, a fire department spokeswoman said. Firefighters cleared the site at 6:39 p.m.

As the storm intensified Thursday, floods and mud flows occurred, particularly in Pacific Palisades, Altadena and Pasadena. Evacuation warnings and orders were issued in the wildfire zones and other areas leading up to the deluge.

In Altadena, stretches of multiple streets were still closed Friday after the lifting of evacuation warnings. Closures included sections of Altadena Drive, Braeburn Road, Mendocino Street, Homewood Drive and Glendora Mountain Road in the Angeles National Forest. Multiple vehicles were stuck in mud-filled streets.

Record rainfall was reported in downtown Los Angeles, with 2.8 inches breaking the 1954 record for the day of 2.71 inches.

Evacuation warnings also stretched into the Malibu area. Local road closures and the weather prompted closures Thursday and Friday of all Malibu campuses in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District.

Evacuation warnings also were issued in the San Gabriel foothills near the area of the Eaton Fire, impacting thousands of residents. Sierra Madre city officials issued mandatory evacuation orders Thursday morning affecting nearly 1,000 homes.

Sheriff Robert Luna said residents in LASD-patrolled areas were also given mandatory evacuation orders if county authorities considered their properties to be at risk.

He told KNX News mandatory evacuations as of Thursday morning were issued for nine homes in Altadena, 49 in Malibu, five in San Dimas and 35 in Palmdale.

In the area of the Palisades Fire, longstanding Duke’s restaurant in Malibu that survived the wildfire was swamped with floodwater Thursday. Heavy mudflows also buried a large part of Topanga Canyon Boulevard. Mud also swamped roads in Malibu Canyon and Pacific Coast Highway that were closed prior to the storm.

PCH is closed between Chautauqua Boulevard in Pacific Palisades and Carbon Beach Terrace in Malibu for an indefinite period. Malibu Canyon was inaccessible between Piuma Road and Adamson Flats.

In the Hollywood Hills, a debris flow Thursday afternoon spewed 8 inches of mud onto Mulholland Drive.

In Orange County, mandatory evacuations were ordered in areas near the Airport Fire burn area — Trabuco Canyon, including the RC Airport, fire station, campground/park and school; Bell Canyon, including Starr Ranch; and Hot Springs Canyon, including Lazy-W Ranch.

The Ontario Police Department reported an 18-foot sinkhole Thursday evening that caused the closure of westbound Holt Boulevard at Pleasant Avenue, eastbound Holt Boulevard at Plum Avenue, northbound Sultana Avenue at Transit Street and southbound Sultana Avenue at Sierra Court.

No significant injuries were reported from the storm.

Updated Feb. 14, 2025, 1:30 p.m.

More from Environment