The Antelope Valley Times

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Supervisors declare local state of emergency

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[Images contributed by local readers.]
[Images contributed by local readers and L.A. County Public Works.]
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors declared a local state of emergency Tuesday in response to the storms that slammed the Antelope Valley, prompting mudslides that swamped roads, trapped vehicles and damaged homes and other properties.

Supervisor Michael Antonovich asked that the emergency be declared for Quartz Hill, Leona Valley, Lake Hughes, Elizabeth Lake and surrounding areas.

“The rain, flooding and debris flows destroyed and damaged structures, including homes, and forced the closure of major highways and local roads,” Antonovich said. “These conditions warrant that the county proclaim the existence of a local emergency to free up resources to support response and recovery efforts.”

The resolution will be sent to the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services for the governor’s approval — which would free up state resources to assist with cleanup and recovery crews.

Thursday’s rain storm sent a lava-like flow of mud into some neighborhoods, trapping some motorists whose vehicles were quickly swamped. Antonovich said three sheriff’s patrol units and at least 12 people had to be rescued from vehicles trapped by high flood waters during the storm.

Mud also flowed into a number of homes. Palmdale officials said at least 10 homes were damaged and Antonovich said one of his own deputies had flood damage in and outside of his home.

County emergency management officials are urging residents whose properties were damaged by flooding or mudslides to report the damage by filling out an online assessment survey.

According to the county Office of Emergency Management, residents can fill out the survey at www.lacounty.gov/elnino and click on the “Damage Assessment Survey” link under the heading “Info for Affected Homeowners.”

The website also provides residents with weather outlooks, information on road closures and tips on emergency preparedness and is designed to be a news clearinghouse during upcoming winter storms.

Previous related stories:

County asks residents to report damages to homes, businesses

Storms, floods and mudslides: Tips and information

Palmdale issues storm and road update [updated: roads reopening]

Stranded students stay at Palmdale school

Record rainfall Thursday brings flooding, mud

20 comments for "Supervisors declare local state of emergency"

  2. I’m so devastated!!!!!! I lost EVERYTHING!! I live on M8 an 55th west! I was one of the houses that had to leave immediately! I couldn’t save anything. Every room in the house is soaked with water and mud. I lost all of my kids clothes shoes pictures blankets mattresses, beds, couches, TV. Everything is gone.
    I was only gone for 3 hours. I came home to my dog in the street an a man holding my Yorkie, an he told me he found her floating. So thankful he had my dogs.
    The house can not even be saved their is so much damage!!
    :(
    I haven’t stopped crying.
    I’m thankful I wasn’t home with my kids when it happened.

    • Lost everything…except your life, your kids, and your dogs. I’m sorry for the stuff you lost, but thankful for what you didn’t. Count on your family, your friends, and your community. You may be surprised at good that may come out of this for you.

      • I’ll have to give it to you, Tim. You’re one hell of an arm chair quarterback. I don’t blame LASD or LAFD. I praise the city workers who get no accolades for their hard work, cleaning up debris from our streets and storm drains.

        Something is amiss when our government spends thousands of dollars on manpower and helicopters to catch petty criminals and yet, when someone is in need of a bulldozer or probing expert, we go home to our warm comfortable beds.

        I’ve never seen anyone stand on a soap box while reclining in a Lazy-Boy. You’re one piece of work, Tim.

    • Wendy, I don’t know what ages your kids are but I have a toddler bed and some clothes my kids have grown out of that you are welcome to if you’d like. I have a microwave and other items as well. Feel free to email me or reply to this post if you’re interested. I can get these things to you as soon as tomorrow.

  3. The man getting washed down that culvert in his car is a terrible tragedy. That wash across M-8 really needs to be fixed. Even in the smallest of rains mud and rocks wash across the road there.

  4. I was in the disaster zone on Almond and M-8, the first street west of 55th W. in Quartz Hill. Four of the homes bordering the north side of M-8 were destroyed. 3 of the four families had to relocate. I helped when I could. Today I learned that just west of me, on the 6100 block of M-8, a person was found dead in an SUV, covered in mud. The Sheriff’s were notified by another motorist on Thursday, the night of the flood, that a car was seen washed into a ravine in the same location. Nobody found it until today. Congratulations, Sheriff’s deputies. We’ve found out who our friends are. They’re definitely not the ones shooting their fellow deputies in the leg while camping in Kern.

    • Despite the sheriffs being called at the time, the casualty was found five days later by Public Works staff.

      Glad you made it out okay Philip.

      • If only there were an online news publication that could have alerted us to this missing person. I live a half mile down the street. I went through three sets of clothes, shoes, multiple showers, and a few homemade meals for my neighbors. If I was aware of this flood victim, I could have helped. Perhaps I have a hero complex. However, the channels of communication were not in the victim’s favor. I’m glad you made it out OK, Tim.

        • I heard the man was never reported missing to the cops. His family should have reported him missing in the first place and maybe the information would have came out in the media. What a sad sad state of affairs!

          • You heard. I heard. That’s all. Maybe the man didn’t have a family. He died, gasping for air as he was engulfed in mud. A passerby noticed his car being swept off the street into a river of mud, so I heard. The passerby saw something, and said something – to the proper First Responders. The First Responders could not find the vehicle. It was too dark and muddy. They went home.

        • From seeing it on the news last night, with interviews from the woman who called 911 and a response from the fire department, which had to fish her out of a car that was also window deep in the mud, I think there was really nothing to do.

          She saw the car ‘disappear’ but had no real idea where it went, and also didn’t see that there was someone in it. The fire department considered getting her and the other person out of the car they were in to be a dangerous rescue, and their car was sitting on a solid surface. Even if they had:
          1) assumed the lost car was still occupied,
          2) successfully guessed where a hole deep enough to swallow the car was under the flowing mud and running water,
          3) taken the risks involved in entering such a hole under the existing conditions,

          they were probably already too late to do anything but recover the body. Once the car went into a hole deep enough for it to be covered the end result was already determined. Anyone going in after it would most likely have just added to the body count.

          Unfortunate, but at the end of the day the only thing to learn is DO NOT DRIVE INTO RUNNING WATER.

          • Smartest thing you’ve said all day, Tim. I take back the soapbox/armchair comment.

            I was in the middle of M-8 that night, directing traffic away from 60th. I saw Jeeps and other 4X4 trucks barely make it through the river that was dumping into our 3-way intersection of M-8 and Almond. All of the cars turned around when they saw me standing in thigh-deep water. A few managed to make it through. I hope that wasn’t the guy in the minivan.

            Do not drive into running water – enough said.

          • No offense taken Philip. While you were out in the mud I was in fact in my armchair. This storm caused no flooding of any kind here in my part of town, which was surprising since we have taken our share in the past. So unless I really went looking for trouble there was no apparent need for me to get personally involved.

            I admire you for pitching in, and wish you the best.

    • People that llive up there have also said THE FD probed it and don’t feel anything. And if youre going to blame the sheriff’s blame the fire department for not getting up there either. And then blame the work crews for not being able to clear the roads to get up there either.

  6. I’m happy to see the rings that have been recognized here. However, why was there no mention of the Emergency Water Conservation that has been put forth to Lake Elizabeth and Leona Alley residents? This is a very serious matter as well, that should be addressed.

    • *things, not “rings”.
      *Valley, not “Alley”.
      The connection is slow and my fingers were going too fast for the screen. I should have proofread before posting. :-/