Storm Drops 1 1/2 Inches of Rain on S.D.

The fierce Pacific storm that battered Northern California and the Los Angeles area dumped more than 1.50 inches of rain at Lindbergh Field late Friday and Saturday but caused little damage in San Diego County.

Locally, the mountain areas were the wettest, with Palomar Mountain recording 5.50 inches and Julian, 5.00, said Richard Stitt, a National Weather Service forecaster.

Low-lying streets on the north end of Mission Valley were flooded, as usual, blocking entryways to both Fashion and Mission Valley shopping centers, police reported. In addition, Camino del Rio South, just south of Interstate 8, became blocked with water and mud sliding down from fire-denuded hills below Normal Heights. In the South Bay, Monument and Dairy Mart roads were also closed most of Saturday.

The rain is the suspected cause of an electrical fire in a sign atop the 24-story Great American First Savings Bank building in downtown San Diego Saturday evening.

Seven fire units and several police cars were called to the 6th Avenue and B Street building but the fire in the bank’s logo sign on the 7th Avenue side continued to blaze for nearly an hour until a firefighter was lowered over the building’s edge from the roof to extinguish it.

A spokeswoman said that apparently the high-rise fire was started when dampness caused the electrical wiring to short out. The blaze caused little damage, Fire Department spokesmen said, but drew a crowd of onlookers, most of them bound for the nearby San Diego Symphony concert at Symphony Hall.

High surf forced officials to close the mouth of Mission Bay at 5:18 p.m. Saturday. Otherwise, the predicted high tides and big surf failed to materialize, Stitt said.

The storm brought San Diego’s total rainfall to 9.77 inches since July 1, or 3.78 inches more than what is considered normal, Stitt said.

In other areas of the county, Escondido received 2.80 inches; Fallbrook, 2.82; Ramona, 2.45, and Santee, 2.13

A weak low-pressure system hanging over Southern California will keep skies cloudy and conditions drizzly through today and most of Monday, Stitt said.

Daytime high temperatures in the coastal and inland areas today will be about 68 degrees, with nighttime lows about 59.

Gusty winds in the mountains will cause a traveler’s advisory to remain in effect through today, Stitt said.

Daytime temperatures in the mountains will be about 52, with lows around 44.

Elsewhere in Southern California, the first big winter storm of the year lumbered eastward, leaving in its wake more than 4 1/2 inches of rain, scattered mud slides and minor power outages, but wreaking little of the major damage that some had first feared.

Forecasters warned that while the worst was over, at least one-half inch of additional light rain and drizzle was expected to fall on coastal areas through today, with as much as 1 1/2 inches of rain expected in the mountains.

“We’re not looking for a significant amount compared to what we’ve had, but with the ground already so soaked, where can the new rain go?--it runs off,” Betty Reo, a National Weather Service weather specialist, said. “There could be some problems with slides if homeowners don’t already have adequate runoff.”

The weather service’s extended forecast calls for the chance of more rain by midweek.

Authorities remained particularly concerned about the possibility of slides in areas left barren by summer brush fires in Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties and in the Malibu area.

In Ventura County, officials said they felt fortunate that mud and rock slides in steep Matilija Canyon north of Ojai claimed only one home and a guest house. There were no injuries.

“We came out of it pretty well,” Lt. Paul Anderson of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department said Saturday. “We didn’t quite get the rain we expected.”

Authorities on Friday had advised residents to evacuate Matilija Canyon and nearby Home Acres, both chronic mud slide areas. Almost half of the more than 100 homes there were evacuated, Anderson said.

The Matilija Canyon area recorded 5.3 inches of rain Friday night and Saturday, leaving some roads closed by mud slides. At least eight other Ventura County roads were closed because of flooding, authorities said.

Closer to Los Angeles, oceanfront and cliff-side homeowners in the Malibu area spent much of Saturday filling sandbags and hosing off streams of rain-driven mud that had collected around foundations and driveways.

“Its almost therapeutic to get out here and hose the place down a bit,” said Gregory Econn, whose garage was surrounded by three inches of mud. “None of us here had any damage with four inches (of rain). Another few inches shouldn’t hurt us either. This is kind of fun, actually.”

Econn said he planned to go surfing later in the day.

On nearby Big Rock Mesa, authorities expressed concern that additional rain might send about a dozen cliff-side homes plunging toward the ocean. The houses, some of them already abandoned, have been steadily sliding in that direction for years.

“Were going to be in trouble if it starts raining again,” said Officer Craig Klein of the California Highway Patrol’s Malibu station.

Authorities also directed their attention to a stretch of Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu between Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Las Flores Canyon Road, which was closed at about 9:30 p.m. Friday because of slides.

Only residents escorted by the CHP were allowed into the area Saturday to enable Caltrans crews to clear the road unabated.

Six men were rescued Saturday after heavy seas capsized their 30-foot sailboat off Venice Beach. By the time county lifeguards pushed through the 12-foot waves to the foundering vessel, it had capsized and thrown its six occupants into the water.

Three other people dove into the ocean before their 28-foot cabin cruiser washed onto the beach at Playa del Rey. County lifeguards pulled them from the water in good condition.

In Orange County, waves breaking over the seawall Friday night forced closure of eastbound lanes of Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach between Warner Avenue and Golden West Street. Police reopened that part of the highway at about 9 a.m. Saturday.

Between Thursday, when the rain began, and 4 p.m. Saturday, 4.55 inches of rain was recorded at the Los Angeles Civic Center. Of that amount, .76 of an inch had fallen since midnight Saturday. Most of the rain came Friday, when 2.5 inches was dumped on Los Angeles.