Storm Wreaks Havoc on Roads; Transient Dies : Weather: Workers at golf course find a man’s body. Freeways are closed by flooding, and 20 cars are involved in a pileup.

A transient sleeping in the Sepulveda Basin died after he was apparently swept up by floodwaters during the powerful storm Saturday that flooded Valley roadways, left 6,000 homes without power and caused a 20-car freeway pileup.

Authorities speculated that rapidly churning water surged out of a flood control channel and carried the transient--described as a Native American man in his 40s--onto an adjacent golf course. Officials have not identified him.

“He apparently died from drowning, hypothermia or both,” said Los Angeles Police Sgt. Brad Kubela. “It appears to be a storm-related death. The waters rose above the limits of the flood control channel and spilled over the golf course.”

Groundskeepers at the Woodley Golf Course found the body about 7:30 a.m. near the 18th hole, Kubela said.

Several workers said the badly battered body was clad only in a sweater. The man’s arms were folded tightly and his knees were pulled up to his chest, as if he were protecting himself against the cold.

“The current must have been so strong it just washed (his clothes) off,” said a worker who asked not to be identified. “It (the flooding) was really violent in that area.”

A fence that borders one end of the golf course had been knocked down and was strewn with shrubbery and debris, Kubela said. In a heavily wooded area adjacent to the golf course, police and course workers discovered a sleeping bag, a fishing pole, several tarpaulins and a bicycle that apparently belonged to the man.

Workers said the man frequently slept in the basin and was often seen riding a bicycle and collecting aluminum cans.

“It’s so sad,” said another worker, who had seen the man earlier in the day. “He looked like he really suffered.”

The storm left about 3,000 homes in Sun Valley and another 3,000 homes in other areas without power Saturday, some for as long as four hours, said Ed Freudenburg, a spokesman for the Department of Water and Power.

The slick roads and poor visibility led to a massive pileup on the eastbound Ventura Freeway in Burbank just after 3 p.m., tying traffic up for more than an hour and leaving five people, including a 17-month-old baby, with minor injuries.

California Highway Patrol Officer J.D. Fields said the accident involved about 20 vehicles in four separate collisions that occurred within seconds of each other, near the Forest Lawn Drive exit.

Fields said a speeding motorist was involved in the second of the four incidents. The motorist was driving 65 mph despite the heavy rain and bad visibility, he said.

“Everyone was driving slowly and prudently, except for this one guy,” Fields said. “The rain was coming down so hard, the safe speed might have been 30 to 35 m.p.h.”

Several Valley roadways were flooded or blocked by mudslides.

The Golden State Freeway between Sheldon and Osborne streets was closed in both directions for several hours early Saturday, said Officer Rob Lund of the California Highway Patrol.

A mudslide blocked the southbound Hollywood Freeway between Roscoe Boulevard and Sherman Way for 18 hours before being reopened at 6 p.m.

Fire officials received numerous calls reporting flooding on surface streets, downed power lines and other storm-related incidents, said Jim Wells, spokesman for the Los Angeles City Fire Department.

“We had calls from people throughout the Valley receiving water in their homes,” Wells said.

At the National Guard armory in Van Nuys, 74 homeless people found shelter from the storm Saturday through the city’s Cold/Wet Weather Program, said Jerry Cerda, intake manager for the program.

“With the weather being what it was last night and people telling people, we anticipate a whole lot more,” Cerda said.

Funded by the city of Los Angeles and operated by the L.A. Family Housing Corp., the program provides shelter to homeless people during the coldest months of the year.

Those who need to use the shelters must call a hot line each morning to find out if the facility will open. The program offers transportation for those unable to get to a shelter, a free meal and an opportunity to shower, Cerda said.

The armory in Van Nuys will be open tonight and Monday night and possibly longer.

To find out about local shelters, call (800) 548-6047.

Staff writers Michael Arkush and Lucille Renwick contributed to this story.