Glendale fares relatively well in storm

GLENDALE — Other than a small backyard landslide, street flooding and fallen branches, Glendale fared relatively well compared to other Southland cities that were pummeled by a fierce storm on Wednesday.

The overnight rainstorm caused a tree to lean on a home’s roof on the 400 block of Spencer Street, officials said. A rock also crushed through a home’s wall on the 1500 block of Melwood Drive. No one was injured.

Glendale fire crews also assisted in a morning search of the Los Angeles River after receiving several reports that a man had possibly fallen in the quick-moving water at Studio City and needed to be rescued, officials said. The report turned out to be false, Glendale Fire Capt. Stuart Stefani said.

Glendale experienced rain at rates of up to an inch per hour Wednesday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service, and reportedly saw pea-sized hail around 2 p.m.

Earlier showers created problems for some Chevy Chase Canyon residents after a diluted hillside gave way and spilled into a home’s backyard on the 2600 block of Chevy Chase Drive.

The hillside, which is part of a property on the 2600 block of Kennington Drive, has been a source of anxiety for about seven years, said Michael Rezani, whose Chevy Chase home sustained mud damage.

Moments before the landslide Monday evening, Rezani said he saw the wall of mud moving, then immediately called police, ran into his backyard and began shoveling mud away from his home.

“This is really taking the sense of security out of us,” he said.

Since the landslide, the city’s Public Works Department stationed a crew above the hill to monitor any movement. The city installed a flexible corrugated pipe to drain mud and water away from Rezani’s home and into Chevy Chase Canyon.

Crews have also kept bright lights affixed on the hillside for better monitoring.

About 75% of the mud dumped into Rezani’s backyard has been cleaned up, but he said there is still a lot of work to do.

“We are still on life support,” he said.

On Tuesday, a Parway Drive resident said water was flooding his Chevy Chase County Club home, so he picked up sandbags from Dunsmore Park in La Crescenta.

No other significant damage was reported Wednesday in the Chevy Chase Canyon neighborhood, said Brian Duran, co-president of the Chevy Chase Estates Assn.

Slope erosion was also reported during this week’s storm on properties on the 300 block of Kempton Drive and the 1300 block of North Jackson Street.