Late-season storm causes massive mudslides in Orange County foothills

Authorities said this afternoon that no one has been injured from massive mudslides and flooding brought on by an unexpectedly nasty spring storm that pounded the Orange County foothills.

As Brendon Shounia started his 1 p.m. shift at Trabuco General Store, he got a phone call about mandatory evacuations in the community denuded by last year’s brush fires. Shounia said there is a lot of mud, and the water in the creek next to the store is rising, but he and his father, the store’s owner, don’t plan on leaving.

“Usually a lot more water has to be on the floor before I get too worried,” he said. “Besides, the sun is starting to come up.”

Flash-flood warnings have been issued for Yorba Linda, Tustin Foothills, Tustin, Mission Viejo, Irvine, Fullerton and Anaheim. Hail has also been reported in Yorba Linda.

Trabuco Canyon is getting hit hardest, said Mike Blawn, a spokesman for the Orange County Fire Authority. The creek that runs the distance of Santiago Canyon is flooded and full of mud, water and large pieces of debris that are moving rapidly.

“That area is extremely dangerous,” Blawn said. “You know what? It’s all dangerous, the whole canyon area.”

Battalion Chief Don Forsyth of the Orange County Fire Authority said rumors of people trapped on the second story of a Modjeska Canyon home were untrue, and no people were stranded by the mudflow in the rural canyon neighborhood.

Williams Canyon in the area was reported filled with mud, Forsyth said.

Fire crews that previously backed down in Modjeska, Williams and Trabuco canyons because of mudslides have been able to pass through to help evacuate people. Authorities have dispatched bulldozers and other heavy equipment to clear the roadways and stand by in the event of more heavy rains.

The agency received calls about people potentially trapped in mudslides at Trabuco Canyon, but crews did not find any such people.

Rescuers began removing horses from local corrals this afternoon, and at least two people were stranded when a creek flooded in O’Neill Regional Park.

The roads through Santiago, Modjeska and Live Oak canyons have been closed, officials said.

At Cook’s Corner, about 12 people were eating burgers and omelets when water and mud poured into the restaurant at about 12:15 p.m.

“It’s super bad,” said Rhonda Palmeri, manager of the biker bar, which is at the juncture of Santiago Canyon and Live Oak Canyon roads. “It’s all mud. The bar is all flooded out and we’re trying to get the patrons out.”

The storm has caused snow to fall in the San Bernardino Mountains and high surf to pound coastal areas. Late-season rainstorms are predicted into the weekend.

Officials are predicting that the weather system – with its thunderstorms, hail and gusty winds – is moving south toward Murrieta and Temecula.

Early morning snowfall in the mountains northeast of Los Angeles dusted some peaks but melted quickly at lower elevations. The National Weather Service predicted a chance of rain and thunderstorms in the region and cooler-than-average temperatures.

Flash-flood warnings were issued for portions of San Bernardino and Riverside counties until the early afternoon, and residents in burn areas were advised to be especially alert.

Coastal areas of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties were under a surf advisory for wind-driven, 10- to 14-foot waves with some local sets to 18 feet.

 my-thuan.tran@latimes.com

 david.reyes@latimes.com

Times staff writers Lauren Biron, William Lobdell, Carla Rivera and Nardine Saad contributed to this report.