During the rains on Feb.6 trapped public works employees kept a constant radio voice relaying the mud and flood danger that was heading down the hill.

Community Meeting

According to Supervisor Michael Antonovich, a community meeting will be held in approximately two months to get community input as to where a new dog park in Crescenta Valley should be and what it should look like.

Community
Information Night

On March 1 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Crescenta Valley High School, the Glendale Unified School District will be conducting a meeting to address the state’s fiscal crisis and its impact on the district.

LA County opens disaster assistance center

Representatives from federal, state and county agencies will be available to help victims of the flood and mudflows. Engineers can help with structural questions and agents will answer questions concerning insurance coverage information. There will also be assistance with how to recover vital records and how to find volunteers to help clean damaged homes.  Some residents and business owners may qualify for a low-interest loan that can help with insurance deductibles. The center is located at Central Christian Church, 5027 New York Ave. in La Crescenta.

Drug and Alcohol
Prevention Coalition

All are invited to the Drug and Alcohol Prevention Coalition  tonight at 7 p.m. at the Crescenta Valley High School library. The community-based organization discusses critical issues pertaining to drug and alcohol use in the area with an emphasis on education of the problem. The coalition invites and encourages dialogue with community members on the issues our children are facing in the area.

Chicken Pox at CVHS

Crescenta Valley High School has four confirmed cases of chicken pox. Students who have not been immunized should get the vaccine. If students have a fever or rash, they should see a doctor and remain at home. The incubation period for chicken pox is 14-21 days. Any immunocompromised person or pregnant person should confer with a physician. Please inform the school if a case of chicken pox is confirmed.

Federal  reimbursement

Supervisor Michael Antonovich wants the federal government to reimburse Los Angeles County for the $30 million it cost to remove nearly a million cubic yards of mud, rocks and lumber from debris basins adjacent to the Station Fire that help protect neighborhoods in the foothill areas from mudslides during rain storms.

“The U.S. Forest Service’s failure to extinguish the Station Fire in its earliest stage resulted in a catastrophe that is still impacting our County residents and taxpayers,” Antonovich said. “It caused the build up of material in these vital debris basins that must be cleared to prevent flooding and protect life and property.”

Another storm is making its way toward Crescenta Valley on Saturday.

“Everything so far [this week] has been light,” said Bonnie Bartling, weather specialist at the National Weather Service.

Rain drizzled through on Wednesday; Thursday is expected to be sunny.

“We have another storm working its way into the Los Angeles area,” Bartling said.“This next system is expected late Friday. It is a potentially strong system and a little more unstable.”

Friday’s storm is expected to drop as little as three-quarters of an inch to two-and-a half inches of rain.

“It looks like it is a fast moving storm. It may blow through in three hours,” Bartling added.

The bulk of the rain should hit within two to three hours. The storm will also bring cold temperatures that could drop snow levels down to the 4,000 to 5,000 foot level.

“And obviously if there are thunderstorms the [rainfall] will be greater,” Bartling said.

Sunday and Monday look to be sunny with the possibility of more rain Tuesday and Wednesday.

“But that doesn’t look too big,” she said.

As is the normal procedure for the next few years, Crescenta Valley residents are reminded to be vigilant of the hillsides during any amount of rain.

“Our message all the time is to be watchful,” said Ritch Wells of the city of Glendale.

By Mary O’Keefe

In anticipation of rain this weekend, residents living in identified flood danger zones in La Crescenta and La Cañada will be receiving phone calls and notices to evacuate beginning on Friday, Feb. 19 at noon. Deputies will be asking residents to be out of their homes by 4 p.m.

“We will begin door knock [notification] tomorrow,” said Capt. Dave Silversparre. “Some residents will be asked to make certain their trash cans and vehicles are off the street.”

Last weekend deputies and volunteers from Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station distributed notices to homes concerning the street policy.  During the recent rains vehicles became battering rams as debris pushed them down the flooded streets.

A total of 188 homes, 42 in La Crescenta and 146 in La Cañada, will be notified of the evacuation by Alert L.A. County phone system tonight and at noon on Friday.

“This is a unified command decision,” Silversparre said.

The Captain had been on the phone throughout Thursday with representatives from public works, fire and county officials as they monitored the upcoming storm and adjusted their response accordingly.

“There is more rain than originally predicted,” he said of the decision to move forward with evacuation plans.

Bonnie Bartling, weather specialist at the National Weather Service, said the fast moving rain storm is expected to arrive Friday night. The heaviest rain will last about three to four hours.

“The front will go through Friday night and early Saturday morning,” Bartling said.

The storm should drop about an inch to an inch and a half of rain. There is a slight chance of thunderstorms, which provide the greatest chance for brief periods of rain.

“Rain rates can be a half an inch an hour which would exceed the U.S. Geologic Survey’s debris flow threshold,” she said.

Showers are more than likely to continue sporadically throughout Saturday.

Then the second storm will hit.

“The next one is expected to be similar in strength and speed. It will begin Sunday and continue to Monday,” she said.

The weather service is monitoring other storms that may follow next week.

“There may be a possibility of showers beyond [Monday]. It does look like there could be activity; we are [continuing] to monitor the [system],” Bartling added.

At press time there had been no evacuation notices sent to residents living in the Glendale/La Crescenta area.

The city officials are monitoring the situation but at this point do not anticipate any evacuations, said Glendale Fire Capt. Vince Rifino.

La Crescenta evacuations include two homes on Starfall Drive, one on Pineglen Road, one on Pinecone Road, one on Pennsylvania Avenue, four on Maurice Avenue, nine on Canyonside Drive and 24 on Harmony Way.

Continue to check the Crescenta Valley Weekly website for updates including shelters and road closures as they occur.

By Mary O’Keefe

Last night, local residents heard updates on what the recent rains did to Deukmejian Wilderness Park and what to expect in the future.

“It really is just an update for residents. We thought [community members] were wondering what is going on after the rains,” said Steve Zurn, director of Glendale Public Works.

Zurn said although the recent rains did not cause any severe damage residents need to continue to be vigilant.

Representatives from Los Angeles County Public Works attended the meeting to share information on how the debris basins worked during the recent storms.

“They performed well. They were a saving grace for us,” Zurn reported.

There had been some concerns about the trucks driving up and down local streets hauling the mud and debris from the county to the Dunsmuir landfill. A number of residents were worried about the shifts the independent truckers are working and the fatigue they might have.

County and city officials assured residents they were monitoring the drivers’ hours.

Another concern was the weight of the debris in the trucks and brake failure.

Officials assured residents that the vehicles are monitored on a regular basis and that they carry seven yards of material in a ten-yard truck so as not to put undo stress on the brakes.

Zurn said public works had received some complaints about the trucks. Although officials had warned residents of the trucks during meetings before the rain the actuality of the noise and traffic is setting in.

“When you get into the 24/7 operations it can wear on you,” Zurn said.

He added that the complaints have been few and the residents have been corporative and supportive.

The county is looking for additional landfills but specific protocols must be followed.

“Our director Gail Faber is speaking with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to see if we can’t speed up the process to free up more landfills,” said Gary Bozé, spokesman for L.A. County Public Works in an earlier interview.

The city and county had many meetings to explain what public works, law enforcement and fire would do to prepare for the flooding and mud flow they were certain would be the result of the barren hillsides after the Station Fire. At each meeting they reminded the community that the danger would not end with one or two rain storms but would take about four to five years of constant monitoring.

Reforestation was a topic that was addressed at the meeting as well. Residents wanted to know when the wilderness park would be open and if reforestation was an option.

Park officials attempted to explain why that process would not work in the park but added they would have a separate meeting concerning how and when the park will reopen.

County public works estimated, a week ago, that 900,000 cubic feet of debris slid onto Ocean View Boulevard during the last rains.

“We are always on guard on the ground and in the air,” he said.

A similar informational meeting was held on Tuesday at a Canyonside home.

A conflict between one of the landowners and the Crescenta Valley Water District was a main topic of discussion. In dispute is a road that the water district built some years ago. Most of the residents felt that the road changed the natural flow of rainwater causing much of the flooding that the area has experienced. At Tuesday’s meeting, the county requested and was granted permission by key property owners to investigate the allegations.

Guest speakers Dave Ford of Southern California Edison and Stephen Dunn from Los Angeles County Department of Public Works shared information on transferring existing power lines in the area underground to mitigate future fire concerns.

Residents told the officials they were concerned that firefighters would not respond to their homes during a fire in the Briggs Terrace area for fear of falling electrical wires.

Paul Novak representing Supervisor Michael Antonovich’s office, fielded complaints about public works website. Before, during and after the evacuation notices many residents went to the website but there was no information available. At every meeting prior to the flooding, representatives from public works told residents to get flooding and evacuation updates from the Coordinated Agency Recovery Effort, C.A.R.E. website. However that website did not always list the addresses subject to evacuation

By Robin GOLDSWORTHY, Brandon HENSLEY and Mary O’KEEFE

With the sun shining again residents begin to assess mud damage, grateful no lives were lost.

Now that the evacuations have been lifted and the weather, at least through the weekend, looks sunny and clear the task of getting ready for the next storm begins.

“We will be working continually throughout the week and weekend and as long as the sun is shining to clear out roadways and residential areas and to make sure all the debris basins are cleaned out,” said Gary Bozé, spokesman for the Department of Public Works.

Saturday’s rainstorm pelted the area sending mud down local streets and into homes. The devastation that was warned at the many meetings held by public works came to pass.

“We are lucky that no lives were lost,” Bozé said. A large boulder, about the size of a Volkswagen, blocked the Mullally debris basin causing the mud and water to spill over and into the neighborhoods.

“When last I checked [on Tuesday] we had over 900,000 cubic feet of debris,” Bozé said.

That debris is now being trucked to debris landfills in the area. At present public works is using the landfill at Deukmejian Wilderness Park.

“Our director of public works Gail Faber is speaking with Governor [Arnold] Schwarzenegger to see if we can’t speed up the [process] to free up more landfills,” Bozé said.

Public works will also be replacing and reevaluating the K-rails positions.

“We also learned that cars needed to be off the streets. They were used as battering rams. The debris and water gets behind the cars and the cars ram into the K-rails and move them. The K-rails weigh about two tons each,” he added.

Debris filled with trees, boulders and a variety of garbage traveled down streets from the mountains to below Honolulu Avenue. Saturday morning Ocean View Boulevard was a steady river of sludge. Briggs Avenue below Foothill Boulevard also saw debris and water rushing down to Montrose Avenue. But the most severe damage was above Foothill Boulevard in the Paradise Valley area.

—————————

It began with a prediction on Thursday, Feb. 4.

Rain expected Thursday night into Sunday. The rainstorm would drop about a half to one inch of rain in the Crescenta Valley.

“It will be a good soaking,” said Stuart Seto of the National Weather service.

That prediction was adjusted late Thursday as the storm grew in intensity and another storm followed. Indeed the rain came causing burdened debris basins to overflow that in the end left more than 40 homes damaged and nine uninhabitable.

Beginning early on Saturday morning, a flash flood warning for the Station Fire area was in effect, said Curt Kaplan, meteorologist with the National Weather Service. “In some areas near the Station Fire the rain rate has been three-tenths of an inch in 15 minutes,” he estimated.

As of 4:20 a.m. the National Weather Service had tracked rainfall rates in Malibu as much as an inch an hour. That storm cell came bearing down on Crescenta Valley, maintaining an unexpected intensity.

Foothill residents woke to mud and debris being carried down local streets. The National Weather Service extended its flash flood warning and reported some rates of rainfall estimated at being over one and half inches per hour. Precautionary preparedness actions including advising residents and motorists in and below recently burned areas to “be alert of flash flooding and debris flows which may block roads and culverts.”

In the foothills, mud and debris had already been carried as far south as Honolulu Avenue and Ocean View Boulevard.

At the top of Ocean View Boulevard, boulders had careened down, smashing into cars and houses. Mud and debris flowed into homes and the powerful current carried automobiles from their driveways.

In the Paradise Valley area of Ocean View, resident Ben Edwards grabbed his video and still cameras to document the flows. He’s heard on camera saying that he barely got out of the way of the rushing water.

Many roads were impassable with sheriffs units being initially dispatched to Ocean View Boulevard and Cross, Los Amigos and Encinitas and Angeles Crest Highway and Harter, all in La Cañada. Though no mandatory evacuations had been issued as of 9 a.m. the units were trying to keep the roads clear for public works.

The evacuation orders covered the same neighborhoods that were ordered to leave during January’s storm. Although last month’s rainstorm did little more than send a few pieces of debris down local streets and fill the debris basins, this storm’s damage was much more severe.

Deputies closed the top of Pine Cone Road in La Crescenta due to the debris that was endangering a residence. The home in the 5600 block butts up against the mountain. The burnt vegetation is an indication just how close the Station Fire came to the home. The entire hillside is barren and, with the rain, had flowed into the driveway and garage.

The city of Glendale closed access to Dunsmore Avenue at Henrietta Avenue to allow public works crews to clean the rocks and other debris that had spilled down from Deukemejian Wilderness Park.

Below Foothill Boulevard, residents in the Montrose Villa complex in the 2800 block of Montrose Avenue heard a loud noise then saw the rush of water early Saturday.

“It looks like the water came up against the wall with [enough force] to knock it down,” said resident Billy Soloman.

Pieces of the cement wall that had once surrounded the pool now littered around the patio area and in the pool.

“Then all this firewood must have been up against the wall on the other side,” he added. Several large pieces of apparent firewood were everywhere including in the pool. There was also debris similar to the mudflow throughout the area.

“When the wall fell and everything went into the pool it created a tidal wave and it went up the wall and down the walkway,” Soloman said.

Los Angeles County Fire Department was called out for two rescues at homes and several people needed to be rescued from vehicles in both La Cañada and La Crescenta.

“We have emergency teams ready and called in others [from various stations] to help,” said Inspector FredStowers.

L.A. County Fire had called in additional hand crews had also been called in to help with the debris and clearing.

A press conference concerning the mudflow and flooding in Crescenta Valley and other areas affected by the Station Fire took place around 5 p.m. Saturday announcing the mandatory evacuation of over 500 homes in the La Crescenta and La Cañada Flintridge areas, as well as Acton.

“Whenever an evacuation order is given, it is serious,” said L.A. County Fire Chief Michael Freeman. “It is a matter of life and death. We would rather apologize to you because you’re angry and survived than to have be digging through the debris that can become just as hard as concrete looking for someone who chose to stay.”

La Cañada High School was again open as an evacuation center, with accommodations for pets provided on site by the Pasadena Humane Society.

Freeman said 200 additional firefighters had been sent across the areas that needed help. Commander of Sheriff’s Department Arthur Ng said that 90 deputies had also been deployed to ensure safety, and that all stations are on standby.

Officials added that the major debris flow that went down Ocean View Boulevard Saturday morning was expected and that the design of the street was able to hold the debris. Anyone who has not been asked to evacuate was advised to stay home.

But whether or not the debris flow was expected, the destruction was not. La Cañada Mayor Laura Olhasso, after surveying her town’s damage, commented, “Our worst fears were realized. I cannot tell you the devastation you can see…My heart was in the bottom of my stomach.”

Olhasso said 24 properties, including a preschool, were damaged in La Cañada. Nine homes have been red-tagged (meaning unsafe), while four have been yellow-tagged.

At the press conference, Congressman Adam Schiff stressed the importance of keeping everyone safe. “We want to keep it that way,” he said.

Officials noted that the Paradise Valley basin has been badly damaged, and that the California Emergency Management Agency will send in a report next week to see how much aid FEMA will provide.

County Supervisor Michael Antonovich said the situation was “very hard to visualize,” and compared it to the Universal Studios tram tour.

He blamed the U.S. Forest Service for the mudslides and subsequent damage for they way they acted in handling the Station Fire last summer. Antonovich wanted the Forest Service to be a support unit to L.A. County, but they instead played the role of “usurpers.”

“The U.S. Forestry Service policies prevented the Station Fire from being put out immediately because their philosophy is ‘let it burn’ and the County Fire’s philosophy is saving life and property,” he accused.

The brush that burned has allowed for those hills to be prone to sliding during the storms this winter.

Antonovich said the county has specialized helicopters with firefighting equipment, and had a unit in place for the Station Fire, but the Forest Service did not call them. “They wanted to do it on their own, and as a result they helped create this 160,000 acres of devastation which is now causing devastation for the homes along the Foothills,” he said.

The community was greeted with clear skies on Sunday morning as residents and supporters arrived to help with the clean up. Ascending Ocean View Boulevard after passing the sheriff’s barricade, the first thing one noticed was the smell. It was of fresh turned earth, which is fitting considering that everywhere one looked there was dirt, dust and mud carried from the debris basins that overflowed.

Dallas Ross of The Church of Latter-day Saints received a call on Saturday morning that one of the church leaders of his ward needed help. Ross was one of almost 150 members of local LDS Church congregations who helped clean up three devastated La Cañada neighborhoods on Saturday and Sunday.

“We went up to the barricades and parked, then walked into the neighborhoods,” Ross said of the work done on Sunday. “It’s not often we get to leave church early. Our services last about three hours but we cancelled the final two hours.”

They were told that the residents were under a lot of stress and could be short tempered but he found that people were friendly and appreciated their help. He saw that one of the houses had mud that had lifted the garage door up.

“It was so far past the realm of what I thought mud could do,” Ross recalled. For example, he saw mud on the floor at one house. Up close it looked like a smooth dark floor, and he didn’t think it was mud until he stood in it.

“It was not only mud but really thick. I was blown away by how smooth it was.”

Going further north on Ocean View Boulevard into the Paradise Valley section, the devastation was more and more apparent as mounds of dirt had been pushed aside similar to snow drifts created by plows in the winter. But these mounds had tree branches, trash and other debris buried within, a grim reminder of what roared down the boulevard in the early morning hours of Saturday.

“It rumbled like a freight train,” said 18-year Manistee Drive resident Greg Champion. Manistee is one of the hardest hit streets in the area with three houses red tagged as uninhabitable. Champion lives on the north side of the street, which suffered little damage.

Across the street homeowner Pat Anderson, with friends and family, was sifting through her belongings. The front part of her two-story home was destroyed by the rushing mud.

“I didn’t know if I should wait it out or run,” Anderson recalled. She’s lived in the area since 1971, experienced the fire of ’75 and the subsequent flood of ’78. She said that on Saturday morning, having been through this once before, what she heard “was not a good sound.”

After the first flood on Saturday and the collapse of the house, Anderson said that her “hero” arrived, neighbor Steve Brown who lives just below her on Ocean View Boulevard. “He’s my knight in shining armor,” Anderson said. Brown drove quickly up Ocean View, over logs and curbs, to get to her. He got her out of the damaged house and away before the second flood of the morning swept through.

On Sunday, she looked at what remained of her home. Even her car didn’t escape the floodwaters. It was pushed out of her garage, which was closed, and down into the neighbor’s yard below her. That home was also red tagged.

Though her property is devastated, she has no plans to leave. She is the president and CEO of the La Cañada Chamber of Commerce and has built her life in the foothill area.

“This is home – my family and best friends are here,” she said.

Local residents weren’t the only heroes of the day. Steve Brokaw of Malibu arrived early on with food and drink for deputies and anyone who needed something to eat and drink.

“I saw on television what was going on up here and decided to come up,” Brokaw said. He added that after everything the sheriffs did for the Malibu residents during their fires, he wanted to lend a hand in the foothills. He approached Dennis Holmes, manager of Ralphs Market in La Crescenta, asking for help. He quickly got the supplies he wanted.

“He gave me everything I asked for,” Brokaw said. McDonalds in Tujunga and Dominos Pizza also provided food.

Locals were barely dry from the weekend soaking when Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station issued evacuation notices on Monday night via the reverse 911-phone system for homes in La Cañada and La Crescenta. More rain was expected on Tuesday and officials wanted to make sure that no one was going to be injured in the next bout of rain.

The decision to evacuate was made at the executive level by the incident unified command, said Sgt. John Caffrey. The evacuation orders, according to the Los Angeles Public Works website, would be in effect beginning at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9.

“We will begin door to door evacuations at 8 a.m. and would like everyone to be out by then,” Caffrey said.

Another notice was issued concerning parking along the streets of the evacuated neighborhoods. Residents were asked to keep all vehicles and trashcans off the streets to allow debris to flow. The American Red Cross shelter for evacuated residents was established at Holy Redeemer Church in Montrose.

The National Weather Service adjusted its previous weather prediction. “It is more rain than earlier [predicted]. We are now looking at two inches of rain [in the foothills],” said National Weather Service specialist Stuart Seto of Tuesday’s weather.

A flash flood watch was issued for the burn areas through Tuesday night. The rainfall rate was expected to be a half an inch to an inch per hour with possible strong thunderstorms that could bring a heavier downpour with high winds and hail.

“The storm has built up a bit of power,” Seto added. “The heaviest rain will be from Tuesday afternoon through Tuesday night.”

However, residents were spared. According to Nicole Nishida, spokeswoman for the L.A. County Sheriffs Department, “The expected second rain cell that was thought to produce another downpour did not come in as strong as predicted.”

As Wednesday dawned, snow dusted the foothills due to cold temperatures, but heavy rain never hit.

For future information on evacuated residences visit the public work’s website at http://dpw.lacounty.gov and click on latest update C.A.R.E.

By Robin GOLDSWORTHY

The Crescenta Valley woke to mud and debris this Saturday morning as ongoing rain overnight resulted in mud and debris being carried down our local streets.

The National Weather Service extended a flash flood warning in effect until 12:15 p.m. and reported some rates of rainfall are estimated at being over one and half inches per hour. It further warns of possible flash flooding and debris flows across the area immediately below the Station Fire burn area. Locations in the warning include but are not limited to Tujunga, Sunland, La Cañada, La Crescenta and areas immediately downstream of the Station Fire burn area. Precautionary preparedness actions: residents and motorists in and below recently burned areas should be alert to flash flooding and debris flows which may block roads and culverts.

In the foothills, mud and debris has been carried as far south as Honolulu Avenue and Ocean View Boulevard.

At the top of Ocean View Boulevard, boulders have careened down, smashing into cars and houses. Mud and debris has reportedly flowed into homes. The powerful mud flows have carried automobiles from their driveways.

Mud and debris carried all the way down to end of the Ocean View past Honolulu Avenue.

At Ocean View and Castle, there’s been reported almost three feet of mud that moved so quickly that it carried a car into the middle of the intersection.

At Briggs below Foothill there’s mud and debris – some rather large pieces in places.

The Union 76 at Briggs and Foothill reported that water got in their gas tanks so they are closed until it is repaired.

Many roads are impassable with sheriffs units being dispatched to Ocean View Boulevard and Cross, Los Amigos and Encinitas and Angeles Crest Highway and Harter, all in La Cañada. Though no mandatory evacuations have been issued as of 9 a.m. these units are trying to keep the roads clear for public works.

As of this morning there has been very little traffic in the area and the sheriffs department has not reported any road closures. Residents are advised to be prepared to  “shelter in place” as more rain is expected which may lead to more mud and debris being carried onto local roads.

Here is the update for today, Jan. 21.  The press conference held this morning informed us of the evacuations and situation of the area.  A State of Emergency has been declared as of this afternoon, but conditions seem to be getting better.  Keep checking cvweekly.com for updates, as well as Day 5 of the Weather Watch 2010 video series.

To view on the web, click here.

To view on iTunes, click here.

By Mary O’Keefe & Robin Goldsworthy
A press conference was held at 5:40 p.m. Thursday night in La Cañada to provide an update of how recent weather has impacted the area.

With Schwarzenegger out of state, on his behalf acting governor Jerry Brown today signed the executive order of the declaration of state of emergency for the areas affected by the Station Fire and coping with current flood dangers. The order was presented by L.A. Supervisor Michael Antonovich. The declaration will: waive regulations which may hinder response and recovery efforts, make recovery assistance available under the California Disaster Assistance Act, and expedite access to federal resources and disaster relief programs including the U.S. Army Corp. of Engineers, Antonovich said.
So far, 1991 homes are under mandatory evacuation orders in response to the storms. These homes are located in: Acton – 51 homes evacuated; La Cañada Flintridge – 251 homes; La Crescenta – 217 homes; Glendale – 348 homes; Tujunga/Foothill – 803; S Sierra Madre – 321 homes.
Antonovich noted that the evacuation effort was “a team effort between counties and local cities.” He praised the Crescenta Valley Town Council for being proactive and sponsoring meetings after the Station Fire and before the rains. When asked when folks might be allowed to return to their residences, Antonovich did not give a specific date, instead saying that to send people back to their homes when it is not safe would be “wrong.”
Glendale Fire Chief Harold Scoggins reported that about 80% of Glendale residents agreed to evacuate and no problems were reported. A lot of residents decided to evacuate without delay, remembering the fire and floods of 1975/1978 and even dating back to the 1934 disaster.
Antonovich commented that communication was much improved since the Station Fire, a time when he felt that information was not being delivered in a timely manner – a fact that he said has changed “180%.” He also directed folks to visit the county’s website – http://dpw.lacounty.gov/care/ – to find additional information.
Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Deputy of Emergency Operations John Tripp said that the threat of flood is still high and the fire department, as first responders for rescue, will maintain an increased level of staffing.
Gail Farber, director of L.A. County Public Works. said that there is an ongoing assessment of the hillsides and public works is monitoring 24/7. She noted that while there are no specific debris basins she is worried about, all are being watched and all above the evacuation areas are the most at risk. L.A. County and Glendale Public Works has been active in the area, driving throughout the foothills to check sandbag placement, seeing if any had been washed away and replacing those damaged. If the sandbags are in the wrong place, they can be washed away becoming part of the problem.
Law enforcement has a strong presence in every evacuated neighborhood and are being diligent in checking every car entering these areas.

To see video of weather in the foothills, visit www.cvweekly.com, click on videos/weather watch 2010/ then scroll down a little to view on web or iTunes. You must have an updated version of Quicktime to view.

The County of Los Angeles announced on Tuesday evening that 223 La Crescenta addresses will be under mandatory evacuation as of 9 a.m. tomorrow morning, Wednesday, Jan. 20 in preparation for the worst wave of storms yet expected to hit the foothills area. Below is a list of La Crescenta addresses; for a complete list of Acton, La Crescenta and La Cañada Flintridge addresses affected by the evacuation orders visit the county website at http://dpw.lacounty.gov/care/.

1 3154 Brookhill St
2 3161 Brookhill St
3 5843 Canyonside Rd
4 5848 Canyonside Rd
5 5853 Canyonside Rd
6 5863 Canyonside Rd
7 5866 Canyonside Rd
8 5901 Canyonside Rd
9 5902 Canyonside Rd
10 5905 Canyonside Rd
11 5906 Canyonside Rd
12 5910 Canyonside Rd
13 5911 Canyonside Rd
14 5914 Canyonside Rd
15 5918 Canyonside Rd
16 5919 Canyonside Rd
17 5922 Canyonside Rd
18 5926 Canyonside Rd
19 5930 Canyonside Rd
20 5936 Canyonside Rd
21 6001 Canyonside Rd
22 6002 Canyonside Rd
23 6010 Canyonside Rd
24 6016 Canyonside Rd
25 6020 Canyonside Rd
26 6023 Canyonside Rd
27 6026 Canyonside Rd
28 6034 Canyonside Rd
29 6040 Canyonside Rd
30 6048 Canyonside Rd
31 6065 Canyonside Rd
32 5307 Cortolane Dr
33 5102 Daver Av
34 5105 Daver Av
35 5110 Daver Av
36 5116 Daver Av
37 5121 Daver Av
38 5124 Daver Av
39 5125 Daver Av
40 5830 Edmund Av
41 3132 Frances Av
42 3136 Frances Av
43 3140 Frances Av
44 3141 Frances Av
45 3144 Frances Av
46 5859 Freeman Av
47 5860 Freeman Av
48 5864 Freeman Av
49 5866 Freeman Av
50 5869 Freeman Av
51 5870 Freeman Av
52 5871 Freeman Av
53 5874 Freeman Av
54 5875 Freeman Av
55 5880 Freeman Av
56 3102 Harmony Pl
57 3104 Harmony Pl
58 3106 Harmony Pl
59 3108 Harmony Pl
60 3109 Harmony Pl
61 3110 Harmony Pl
62 3112 Harmony Pl
63 3113 Harmony Pl
64 3117 Harmony Pl
65 3119 Harmony Pl
66 3120 Harmony Pl
67 3123 Harmony Pl
68 3124 Harmony Pl
69 3126 Harmony Pl
70 3128 Harmony Pl
71 3130 Harmony Pl
72 3131 Harmony Pl
73 3137 Harmony Pl
74 3145 Harmony Pl
75 3151 Harmony Pl
76 3153 Harmony Pl
77 3156 Harmony Pl
78 3157 Harmony Pl
79 3165 Harmony Pl
80 3102 Henrietta Av
81 3106 Henrietta Av
82 3114 Henrietta Av
83 3120 Henrietta Av
84 3126 Henrietta Av
85 5801 Irving Av
86 5802 Irving Av
87 5806 Irving Av
88 5807 Irving Av
89 5809 Irving Av
90 5810 Irving Av
91 5814 Irving Av
92 5815 Irving Av
93 5817 Irving Av
94 5818 Irving Av
95 5821 Irving Av
96 5822 Irving Av
97 5825 Irving Av
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110 2241 Manzanita St
111 2303 Manzanita St
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113 2307 Manzanita St
114 2311 Manzanita St
115 2315 Manzanita St
116 2209 Maurice Av
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118 2212 Maurice Av
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137 3167 Orange Av
138 5102 Parham Av
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143 5119 Parham Av
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146 5038 Pennsylvania Av
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162 5244 Pennsylvania Av
163 2228 Phyllis St
164 2232 Phyllis St
165 5649 Pinecone Dr
166 5340 Pineglen Rd
167 5404 Pineglen Rd
168 5512 Pineglen Rd
169 5530 Pineglen Rd
170 5533 Pineglen Rd
171 5536 Pineglen Rd
172 5537 Pineglen Rd
173 5542 Pineglen Rd
174 5544 Pineglen Rd
175 5548 Pineglen Rd
176 5603 Pineglen Rd
177 5613 Pineglen Rd
178 5619 Pineglen Rd
179 5627 Pineglen Rd
180 5635 Pineglen Rd
181 2603 Pinelawn Dr
182 2604 Pinelawn Dr
183 2812 Pinelawn Dr
184 2824 Pinelawn Dr
185 2829 Pinelawn Dr
186 2830 Pinelawn Dr
187 2836 Pinelawn Dr
188 2837 Pinelawn Dr
189 2844 Pinelawn Dr
190 2845 Pinelawn Dr
191 2853 Pinelawn Dr
192 2857 Pinelawn Dr
193 2858 Pinelawn Dr
194 2863 Pinelawn Dr
195 2864 Pinelawn Dr
196 2870 Pinelawn Dr
197 5302 Pineridge Dr
198 5305 Pineridge Dr
199 5311 Pineridge Dr
200 2610 Ridgepine Dr
201 2549 Rockdell St
202 5325 Rosemont Av
203 2603 Seapine Ln
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218 2757 Seapine Ln
219 2701 Starfall
220 2702 Starfall
221 2703 Starfall
222 2601 Willowhaven Dr
223 2604 Willowhaven Dr