Rain Soaks County, Causing Flood of Crashes : Accidents Are Too Numerous to Investigate; Storm to Hang On

The first heavy downpour of the season caused near-chaos on Orange County roads and freeways, including six separate collisions involving at least 11 vehicles that blocked all northbound lanes of rain-slick Interstate 5 in San Clemente late Thursday morning.

Traffic snarls worsened Thursday night as intermittently heavy showers led to hourslong delays on some freeways.

More hazardous driving weather is expected today, and weather forecasters said the storm should continue through Saturday.

One of the many rain-related accidents Thursday involved a Laguna Beach police officer who was struck by a car while he was investigating an earlier accident. The 30-year-old officer was catapulted into the air and suffered a concussion.

There were other accidents on virtually every Orange County freeway and on many surface streets.

“We do not have enough officers to respond to all the accidents, so we’ve got a pecking order,” CHP Officer Michael Lundquist explained. “If a lane is blocked or there are injuries, that’s a first priority.”

But Thursday’s showers were expected to do little to ease local drought conditions, which are entering their third year. Local water officials said that if there is not more rainfall, cuts in water allotments may be necessary for local agricultural users.

As little as half an inch of rain may be all most areas in the flatlands can expect by the time the storm passes on Sunday, according to Patricia Cooper, meteorologist for WeatherData Inc., which provides forecasts for The Times.

By late afternoon Thursday, Laguna Beach reported a high temperature of 57 degrees and a mere 0.17 of an inch of rain, Cooper said. In Santa Ana, temperatures reached 59 degrees and 0.27 of an inch. San Juan Capistrano had a high of 56 degrees and 0.20.

“We’re not out of the woods yet,” said Gordon Elser, public affairs director for the Orange County Water District.

The county’s rainfall for the current year, which began in October, amounts to less than half the normal rate, Elser said, adding that it is even below the pace of last year’s extremely dry season.

“Assuming that this turns out to be another dry year, similar to the last 2, it’s for certain there will be cutbacks in agriculture and very likely . . . some mandatory water conservation in Southern California next year,” Elser said.

While Thursday’s light rain meant little relief for dry conditions, it made for a lot of headaches among those trying to navigate county roadways.

One of the most serious incidents occurred at 3:54 p.m. on Laguna Canyon Road in the accident-plagued Big Bend area. According to Laguna Beach Police Sgt. Greg Bartz, Officer Robert Van Gorder was just concluding an investigation of a single car, non-injury accident when he was hit by another car.

“Officer Van Gorder was getting on his motorcycle, preparing to leave, when another car (headed north on Laguna Canyon Road) skidded into the back of the motorcycle,” Bartz said. “That collision catapulted Officer Van Gorder into the air, and he must have done a 180-degree turn, because he crashed feet-first into the back window of the first car.”

Tow Truck Driver Hurt

The collision also injured a tow-truck driver at the scene, identified as Dan Moniz, 25, of Laguna Beach, Bartz said. Moniz suffered a broken ankle and was taken to South Coast Community Center in South Laguna.

Van Gorder was taken to Mission Community Hospital with a concussion, Bartz said. A spokeswoman for the Mission Viejo hospital said Thursday night that Van Gorder was “in satisfactory condition.”

Bartz said the driver of the car that hit Van Gorder’s motorcycle, a 31-year-old El Toro man, was not cited.

The Automobile Club of Southern California received calls for aid at about 60% greater than the normal rate in Orange County, spokesman Dick Roodzant said.

“The percentage will probably continue to climb as the rain continues,” he added. Through the first 16 hours of Thursday, the Auto Club had received 1,531 calls, or about the same number that is normal for a 24-hour period, he said.

“Traffic’s a mess and freeways are plugged, so it’s hard to get from call to call,” he explained.

“This is definitely a day to call in sick,” the CHP’s Lundquist said, adding that those who must drive should be aware of dangerous traffic situations.

“Most of all, they have to anticipate the unexpected,” he said. “On a day like this, people are going to be crashing and they can’t drive like they normally drive. People are going to be stopping quickly so they should keep their distance.”

County roadways were dotted with fender-benders and worse. At 11:25 a.m., there was a head-on collision at El Toro Road and Marguerite Parkway in El Toro, resulting in major injury.

Heriberto R. Alvarado, 30, of Santa Ana was driving a small dump truck with a skiploader south on El Toro Road near Marguerite when he tried to slow down on the rain-slick road.

Driver Lost Control

Alvarado lost control and swerved sideways into oncoming traffic, slamming head-on into a 1988 Dodge Ram pickup driven by Jimmy Lee Boyd, 41, of Redlands.

Boyd suffered major head injuries and was listed in serious condition at Mission Viejo Regional Medical Center on Thursday night. A passenger in Boyd’s truck, Gilbert Jiminez, 22, suffered a broken leg.

Alvarado was not injured and officers were recommending that he be cited for unsafe speed in poor weather conditions. None of those involved was wearing a seat belt. El Toro Road was closed for two hours after the accident.

Elsewhere, eastbound traffic was backed up for miles on the Riverside Freeway at Valley View Street, where a tanker truck overturned, pouring 2,500 gallons of sweet-smelling brown molasses onto the pavement.

Workmen with shovels heaped sand on the gooey stuff as Caltrans closed off all but one lane of traffic for more than six hours. The driver said that a car spun out in front of him and he hit the brakes, causing the rig to jack-knife.

6 Separate Accidents

In San Clemente, up to 11 vehicles, including a tractor-trailer rig, were involved in 6 separate accidents that blocked all lanes of northbound Interstate 5 near Avenida Pico for hours, CHP spokesman Ken Daily said, adding that the accidents occurred “within seconds of each other.”

Some of those involved suffered minor injuries and freeway traffic was backed up in both directions for 2 hours.

About 12:30 p.m., on the southbound 57 Freeway south of Lincoln Avenue, a tractor-trailer climbed the center divider--a low cement wall--blocking traffic on both ways. Traffic was backed up for 2 hours.

And an overturned tractor-trailer traveling south on the Costa Mesa Freeway south of Lincoln Avenue skidded and spilled a load of clay tiles about 1 p.m. on the shoulder and in the slow lane. Traffic there was backed up for more than 2 hours.

As the rainfall intensified, accidents proliferated on county freeways.

“We’re swamped,” a CHP dispatcher said shortly before noon. “We’ve got accidents all over the place.”

“We’re incredibly busy with minor fender-benders and traffic control,” Westminster Police Lt. Richard Main said. “On a day like this, if you can get somewhere and back without getting in an accident, you’re lucky.”

Fountain Valley Police Lt. Mike Hanrahan said the first substantial rainfall of the season always causes plenty of problems.

Like ‘Parnelli Jones’

“Even after all the publicity that it gets, people are still going out there and being Parnelli Jones. Some are very good about lowering their speeds, but others are out there slipping and sliding and they’re still in hurry,” Hanrahan said.

Albert Miranda, spokesman for Caltrans, said crews were busy all day closing and opening traffic lanes and cleaning up spilled truck loads.

Traffic slowed on the northbound Orange Freeway at Katella Avenue when a bathtub slipped off a truck and skidded into the median.

“We had to get it out of there because a lot of people were slowing to look at it,” Miranda said.

There also were several reports of cars going off the side of the road.

“It was nothing bad as far as injuries,” Miranda said. “It’s just that some people follow too close, there’s no room to stop, they apply their brakes, and with the wet conditions, they end up sliding off onto the embankments.”

Caltrans also sent out its “rainy day weather crews” to monitor the freeway storm drains to check for backup or flooding. The rain water drains off the freeways into pump stations, which send the water into city sewers.

County work crews were out in force, their task made all the more difficult because of debris strewn by last week’s Santa Ana winds.

Windstorms Add to Problems

“Surprisingly, it’s causing us quite a few nuisance problems,” said Bill Reiter, manager of the county’s Storm Operations Center. “Surprisingly, because it hasn’t rained that hard. But with the windstorms we had last week, we have quite a bit of debris . . . in the rural areas where there are road ditches.”

Workmen were clearing debris from the ditches in rural areas, as well as from county flood-control channels, Reiter said. The problem was worst in North Tustin and Orange Park Acres, and in Modjeska and Silverado canyons, he said.

The likelihood of continued traffic problems is tied directly to the possibility of more rain today and through the weekend.

“It looks like more of the same” for today, WeatherData’s Cooper said, adding: “It’s going to be cloudy again Friday with a chance of showers and temperatures in the 50s. Some areas could pick up a half-inch of rain. Higher terrain may pick up an inch of rain.”

“The mountains will receive several inches. Don’t be surprised if you see a thundershower pop up either.”

“The storm is not going to move a whole lot . . . and should be around the area on Saturday as well. I’m expecting the rain to continue on Saturday as showers start clearing out on Sunday.”

Rain is badly needed, according to water resource officials.

Storage Is Down

Statewide, the drought situation is similar to that in Southern California. The state’s 153 major reservoirs hold only 67% of an average year’s storage, Elser said.

Later this month, the state Water Resources Control Board will be faced with deciding whether to impose more stringent water-control measures, he said.

“Even though it (the rain) is welcomed, it isn’t going to get us out of the dry conditions yet, unless we get it piled up in the Sierras as a snowpack,” Elser said. “It’s going to take a tremendous storm to get us out of a drought condition.”

Rain was forecast to continue today throughout most of Orange County. “Snow levels could be down to 3,500 to 4,000 feet,” WeatherData’s Cooper said.

The storm, centered just west of Point Conception, brought more snow to areas north of Los Angeles, Cooper said.

“They have snow and icy roads up that way,” she said. “Anyone traveling northward . . . may run into snow on their way to San Francisco.”

Times staff writer Bill Billiter contributed to this article.

Roundup of the weather statewide is in Part I, Page 3.

DRIVING IN THE RAIN As rainfall continued Thursday, freeways throughout Orange County were marred by accidents. Typically during such rainfall, the California Highway Patrol extends shifts by 4 hours. If the rain continues, the CHP often calls in the next shift 4 hours early. In extreme situations, the CHP may bring in officers on their day off. Two of the biggest accidents Thursday were at opposite ends of the county.

1- 11 a.m.: Northbound Interstate 5: Accident involving as many as 11 vehicles, including a tractor-trailer rig, blocked all northbound lanes near Avenida Pico for 2 hours.

2- 11:30 a.m.: Eastbound California 91 (Riverside Freeway): Traffic was backed up for miles at Valley View Street, where a tanker truck overturned, spilling 2,500 gallons of brown, sweet-smelling molasses onto the pavement. Two lanes were blocked for more than 6 hours.

RAINFALL NUMBERS

All numbers are for Santa Ana

Rainfall today: 0.27 inches

Last substantial rainfall: 0.48 inches on Nov. 25

Season to date

(July 1-Dec. 15)

This year: 1.58 inches

Last year: 3.90 inches

Normal year: 2.83 inches