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California storm causes chaos
24/01/2008 13:05 - (SA)
Los Angeles - A powerful storm dumped snow and rain as it moved across California, shutting down a major interstate highway and prompting flood watches in areas scarred by wildfires.
California Highway Patrol officers escorted vehicles out of Tejon Pass on Wednesday as traffic was halted in both directions along Interstate 5 north of Los Angeles, a dispatcher said.
"There are abandoned cars everywhere," said Wendy Gardner, a manager at Madd Bailey's Pub in Pine Mountain Club, where as much as 25cm of snow fell. "We got hit around 02:30 in the morning, and it hasn't stopped."
Nearly 30cm of snow was reported at the ranch community of Lockwood Valley in Los Padres National Forest, northwest of Los Angeles, the National Weather Service said.
Along the coast, a record 10.5cm of rain was recorded at the Santa Barbara airport, topping the date's old mark of 6.2cm set in 1943.
Flash flood watches were issued for areas of Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties. A flood warning was posted for the Malibu areas burned by recent wildfires.
The unstable atmosphere brought the threat of thunderstorms, which in the past have led to dangerous debris flows in and below burn areas, the Weather Service said.
Mexico hit by rain, winds
Meanwhile rain and unusually strong winds knocked out power to large swathes of Mexico City and killed one person who was crushed by a falling tree, city officials said.
The winds felled signs and trees, blocking major streets. Failed traffic lights created backups in this megalopolis already famous for its bottlenecks. Local media reported anywhere from six to 27 neighbourhoods were hit by blackouts.
Aerial footage of the city showed large sections completely black.
An unidentified man in his late 20s or early 30s was killed when a tree fell on a car in the southern part of the city's centre, Mexico City Civil Defence Secretary Miguel Moreno Brizuela told broadcaster Televisa.
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