Rain Triggers Flood Warnings in 5 Counties

Downpours hit Southern California mountain and desert areas Thursday as subtropical moisture spilled northward from Mexico to trigger intense thunderstorms across several states.

Flash-flood warnings were issued for the mountains and adjacent desert areas of San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego, Imperial and Inyo counties during the day, but no major problems were reported--despite scattered drenchings, occasional whipping winds, lightning and hail.

There could be some more showers or thundershowers today, the National Weather Service said, but it should be mostly sunny and warmer on the weekend with inland valley temperatures ranging from 95 to 105 degrees by Sunday.

In Las Vegas, nearly .75 of an inch of rain was reported in less than half an hour Thursday morning. The downpour flooded highway dips and underpasses to stall motorists and cause a power blackout for about 2,000 homes and businesses, authorities said. But by early afternoon, the trouble seemed to be over.

Numerous spots along Interstate 15 in the gambling center were covered with two to three feet of rainwater, forcing closure of some sections of the highway.

Family Caught in Flood

A vacationing Ontario, Calif., family was forced to clamber onto the roof of their van when the vehicle was virtually submerged in a Las Vegas underpass.

Nancy Pedrotti, who waded from the water with her father, two daughters and two young nieces, said they had not even intended to stop in Las Vegas, planning only to “throw $20 out of the window as we drove by.”

Those plans were changed by the weather.

Heavy flooding also was reported in the Lake Mead area as a flash-flood warning remained in effect for Mohave County in northeastern Arizona.

Some Heavy Rain

In Southern California, heavy rain and flooding were reported in the Lucerne Valley, southeast of Victorville and at Joshua Tree National Monument. In the Twentynine Palms area, a severe afternoon thunderstorm produced golf ball-sized hail and strong, gusty winds, the weather service said.

San Diego County also had intense downpours, with Descanso in the inland southern portion reporting 1.22 inches of rain and Palomar Mountain in the north getting 1.33. There was also some flooding at Cuyamaca Park.

Many of the rainstorms were accompanied by thunder and what the weather service called “frequent cloud-to-ground lightning.”

Flash-flood watches remained in effect in most places until 10 p.m. Thursday.

Forecasters said the tropical weather from Baja California was streaming in a clockwise direction around an upper-level high-pressure system that had spread over much of the southwestern United States.

Today’s Forecast

Today’s Southern California high temperatures are expected to range from the low 70s along the beaches to the 90s in the warmer inland valleys. Thursday’s downtown Los Angeles high was 85 after an overnight low of 68. The high relative humidity peaked at 73% and the low was 43%.

The surf should run two to four feet at Zuma, Newport and Huntington beaches today and Saturday; two to three feet along Santa Monica Bay and at Mission Beach in San Diego.