Latest Atmospheric River Drenches Calabasas: How Many Inches Fell?

CALABASAS, CA — Heavy rain storms from California’s 12th atmospheric river since December pummled Los Angeles this week, causing chaos on roadways and straining utility systems.

Calabasas saw nearly nonstop rain throughout the week as spring was ushered in, making way for drier skies ahead according to the National Weather Service. Over the last three days, Calabasas got a total of 2.01 inches of rain according to the LA County Department of Public Works.

So far this season, Calabasas has gotten a total of 27.68 inches of precipitation beginning on Oct. 1 according to Public Works.

Most of LA County’s coastline saw between 1 and 2 inches of rain over the last three days. The San Fernando Valley saw between 2 to 3 inches of rain while downtown LA saw just under 2 inches.

Cogswell Dam in the San Gabriel Mountains logged the greatest amount of rainfall in the last three days according to NWS: 5.55 inches.

This recent storm brought a variety of dramatic weather conditions throughout the county, including a tornado in Montebello that damaged 17 buildings and injured one person.

L.A. roadways experienced heavy flooding during the downpour, with travelers on the 101 Freeway in Boyle Heights wading in 3 feet of water over three lanes as a water main break paired with the heavy rainfall. Additionally, a mudslide on the 5 Freeway shut down the connector to the 110 Parkway as crews worked to clear the road.

Many cities in the county experienced outages, with thousands of customers having been without power as systems were tested.

A falling tree reportedly hit a person outside Calabasas High School Wednesday night.

Following the downpour, Los Angeles County beaches were put under a health advisory as high levels of bacteria are expected for at least 72 hours after significant rainfall.

“Bacteria levels can increase significantly during and after rainstorms, as contaminants within the runoff enters the ocean,” according to the LA County Department of Public Health. “Elevated bacteria levels in ocean water may cause illness, especially in children and the elderly.”