Avalanches Claim Three Lives In Calif.

Winter Storms, Mudslides And Flash Floods Continue To Plague State

(AP)  A Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy said a third body has been found in an avalanche area, although one person missing since yesterday is safe.

Three people have died in a series of avalanches in the mountains outside of Los Angeles, authorities said Saturday, while Southern California braced for more powerful storms that have pounded the area with heavy snow and rain.

Three avalanches swept backcountry slopes in the San Gabriel Mountains on Friday, killing two skiers. One snowboarder was found safe on Saturday as an air and ground search was underway, but early this afternoon police reported a third body had been found.

Angeles National Forest spokesman Stanton Florea said an avalanche advisory was issued for the ski area at nearby Mount Baldy, a 10,000-foot peak about 40 miles east of Los Angeles, and the lifts were closed.

Elsewhere, residents of four Orange County canyons scarred by wildfires last fall were urged to follow a voluntary evacuation order because of possible mudslides and flash floods. The National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch for the county between midnight Saturday through Sunday morning.

Meteorologist Richard Thompson said up to 8 inches of rain would fall in the hills outside Los Angeles starting Saturday evening and area ski resorts could get as much as 3 feet of powder.

"There's going to be very significant impacts," Thompson said. "Debris and mud-flows will be a great concern."

Several storms have deluged Southern California since Monday. Some areas have received more moisture in that time than during the entire rainy season last year.

In Los Angeles, a Metrolink train on a morning commute into the city Friday hit a slide of mud and rocks on the tracks. The stranded train was pulled free by another train and 2,000 passengers were delayed by 2½ hours, Metrolink spokeswoman Denise Tyrrell said.

The first of Friday's avalanches killed Michael McKay, 23, of Wrightwood, who was an off-duty ski patroller from the Mountain High resort.

Rescuers pulled Darren Coffee from a second avalanche late Friday. He was declared dead at a nearby hospital a few hours later, Los Angeles sheriff's Deputy Cory Kennedy said. The cause of death was not immediately known, nor were Coffee's age and hometown.

The snowboarder, who was not immediately identified, apparently spent the night in the Wrightwood area.

"He walked out" Saturday morning and was in good condition, Los Angeles County sheriff's dispatcher Tracy Meritt said.

Steady rain soaked much of Northern California as well.

Rain caused delays of up to two hours Friday morning at San Francisco International Airport, and officials expected such delays to continue throughout the day.

Residents in the Marin County towns of San Anselmo and Fairfax are were asked to leave their homes and businesses because of flooding from a nearby creek.

[rushlimpdrug]

"Avalanches Claim Two Lives In Calif."

Are the avalanches related to the comanches or the apaches?

[beehive21-2009]

Snowmen

[piercetheval]

In all the years I''ve lived in Calif. [over 50] I''ve never heard of avalanches in the South part of the State. It must be really intense down there. Our condolences to the families of the lost two, from us folk here in Nothern Calif. Gate Gate Paragate Parasumgate, Oh Boddhi Svaha! {Sanskrit prayer for the departed to speed them on towards the light.}

[libsluvsuvs]

Are the avalanches related to the comanches or the apaches?



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Posted by rushlimpdrug at 09:27 AM : Jan 26, 2008
+ report abuse

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PIERCETHEVAL...is there is a sanskrit prayer to take the ''idiot'' demon out of rushlimpdrug??

[rushlimpdrug]

PIERCETHEVAL...
is there is a sanskrit prayer to take the ''''idiot'''' demon out of rushlimpdrug??
Posted by libsluvsuvs at 12:35 PM

Lighten up dorkk, if we all cried about the tragedies that go on in life daily we''d ALL be living a life of total depression.

[sgtrds]

piercetheval

I''ve lived here (Los Angeles) for a large part of the last 17 years and I''ve never seen a winter like this one. Odd, odd weather.

[dorfmont]

I''ve lived here all my life and I have seen many winters like this one. Last winter was unusually dry. I have seen it rain the entire month of February. Watch out for next weekend - it starts again.

Aboput the snow: I have seen snow as early as December at the beach. I think it snowed in Malibu last year or the year before. Snow is normal in our local mountains. That''s why they have ski resorts there.

[Krazcarl]

Sad news I grew up in Me. and don''t mess with piled up snow it''s like quick sand though its lite your trapped and can only move a minute was dug out by friends once "playing the big man"..My deepest sympathies to the families.

[apndrgn]

skiers are especially vulnerable after a year with no snow. I could think of nothing but this idiotic statement.

[lakelured]

Sad...But when will they learn..

[stddating]

Don''t mess with piled up snow it''''s like quick sand though its lite your trapped and can only move a minute was dug out by friends once "playing the big man"..My deepest sympathies to the families.


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[Krazcarl]

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[Krazcarl]

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