Thunderstorms Create Unexpected Havoc in SoCal
SeeCalifornia.com recently ran a story on disaster preparedness month with predictions that this may be a wetter Fall and Winter than last year.
By: Chris MacDonald
A thunderstorm arrived hours before it was expected late Friday, dumping torrents of rain which caught people off guard, caused flooding and even the postponement of football games in Southern California.
The Huntington Beach Pier and beach were closed by lifeguards because of the lightning, which also caused some high school football games to be postponed. The much anticipated showdown of the nation’s Number One Ranked Mater Dei of Santa Ana and Number Two Ranked St. John Bosco of Bellflower had to be put off for another time.
Long Beach, Seal Beach, San Pedro, the Palos Verde Peninsula and Huntington Beach were most affected by the storm that continued on into Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.
Many shoppers couldn’t find a place to park in flooded portions of a large shopping center off Warner Avenue in Huntington Beach. “I finally found a safe spot to park but others just drove off frustrated,” said Mike Heywood, who managed to shop in the Stater Brothers store.
Some cars appeared stranded in the water, along with shopping carts.
“The great thing about this storm was that I got a free car wash,” said Mike Samis. “I’ve been wanting to wash it for months. It looked pretty grubby but now it looks brand new!”
Huntington Beach received a 24-hour rain total of .43-inches, according to the National Weather Service.
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