Feature Stories
Record Rains Pack a Very Wet Wallop
by Steve Propes
KIRT RAMIREZ standing in two feet of flood water at Anaheim & Termino.
Last week’s series of storms began on a Sunday afternoon at about 2 p.m. with a light rain that increased on Monday. At about noon, a likely rain-caused three-vehicle traffic accident at Conant Street and Bellflower Blvd. resulted in an hour and a half power failure for residents of that area. The Peninsula also had power problems.
As the week progressed, the affected areas began to read like a travelogue of the east and south parts of Long Beach.
The heavy deluge began on Tuesday afternoon. At the flood-plagued intersection of Termino Ave at Anaheim Street, residents experienced a total power failure in flooded conditions, with reports of a woman needing rescue from a vehicle at about 1:05 p.m.
Beachcomber reporter Kirt Ramirez documented that flooding with three videos on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/ThePetowner#p/a/u/2/0tHAGnzsuDg, which showed flooding on both Anaheim and Termino and utility workers stranded on outdoor tables at Casa Sanchez.
“I’ve lived in that vicinity for almost seven years and that’s the worst I’ve seen, although flooding in that intersection is not uncommon during heavy rain,” said Ramirez. “I checked the drains and they were not clogged in that situation, they were flowing smoothly.
“But as usual, the curbside storm drains did not stop the large amounts of water rushing down the center of the road. Termino is a hill near Community Hospital and descends to Anaheim. I hope the city can put drains in the middle of the street.”
Ramirez added that he now keeps a pair of swim trunks within arm’s reach.
At the same time a tornado warning was issued, high water at Atherton Street. east of Bellfower Blvd. meant floating cars at 1:10 p.m. with reports of rescues being requested by stranded motorists.
However, the greatest flooding appeared to be at Bennett Ave. and Tenth St., approximately one block from Wilson High School. Reports of streets being closed because of excess water came in at about 1:10 p.m. A mattress was pulled from a storm drain outlet, which might have contributed to the flooding conditions.
With about 400 to 500 cars stranded on the 710 freeway at about 1:25 p.m., patrol officers were cautioned to use surface streets to return to 400 W. Broadway and avoid the freeway.
Willow Street between Studebaker Rd. to west of Stanbridge Avenue was flooded with at least one stranded car at 2:40 p.m. There were similar conditions at Clark Avenue and Willow and at Atherton and Palo Verde. At the chronically flooded area of Redondo Avenue between 10th Street and Anaheim Street, which is the terminus of the now ongoing Termino Storm Drain Project, a TV reporter got knee deep in water by approaching stranded motorists at about 2 p.m.
On Wednesday at the other end of the drain project, things were getting worse at the dirt pile on the Pacific Electric right of way at Sixth St. and Grand Ave.
According to resident Debbie Crews, a flood affected “eight houses and 12 cars in the area. My new car was totaled and about three feet of water went under the houses on Wednesday. The mud is starting to slide and making a toxic waterfall from the dirt pile. The toxins were supposed to stay there, not go in the neighborhood. Now if I grow a garden, will the plants be toxic?”
“This whole flood was caused by the city putting in swaddles to filter water so the mud won’t slide on the ground,” said Crews, who explained “swaddles are straw and hay, measuring six inches around in a burlap bag capped at both ends. For them to work properly, you stake them to the ground, you don’t put sandbags in front of them. This is the last stop, the last drain and by putting in the swaddles, the city plugged up the path of all the water coming from all other places. The fire department pulled them out of the drain when the street dried.”
Also on Wednesday, the northbound Lakewood Blvd. exit from the 405 Freeway had to be closed because of flooding and the tunnel roadway under the freeway was clogged with debris when a concrete wall gave way and filled the roadway. The Spring Street Tunnel between Kilroy Avenue and Lakewood Blvd. under the airport runway was also closed.
The Cal State Long Beach Student Union building had an interior sinkhole develop when water entered from beneath the building’s foundation.
As of week’s end, rainfall levels for the week were officially reported in excess of six inches, though informal measurements of rain barrels and the like reflected more than double that total to about 13 and a half inches of the wet stuff.
To find out about governmental assistance for those who suffered losses in this storm, the city has set up a storm damage hotline at (562) 570-6077.
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