State of emergency proposed for northern LA County amid flood damage

LEONA VALLEY, Calif. -- Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich is calling for a state of emergency to be declared for northern Los Angeles County after the area incurred significant damage from Thursday's rain and resulting flash floods.

Antonovich's office released a statement saying he will ask the Board of Supervisors to approve the emergency proclamation that would cover the unincorporated communities of Quartz Hill, Leona Valley, Lake Hughes and Elizabeth and surrounding areas.

The supervisor said the proclamation would free up resources to support recovery efforts. If the proclamation is given the green light by the Board of Supervisors, it would still need the governor's approval.

Meantime, residents in the hard-hit neighborhood of Leona Valley banded together Friday to dig out of the muddy mess left behind by the previous day's heavy downpours.

The rain pounded the Antelope Valley Thursday, turning roads to rivers within a matter of minutes.

Drivers watched shocked as mud and debris rushed around cars, leaving some trapped.

"It was pretty scary to see the water on both sides, moving very quickly and rising very quickly. I was thinking about how I was going to go up on the sunroof to get on top of the vehicle," said Norman Jacobson, a Leona Valley resident.

Along with the rain and mud, hail also came down over the hills. Some residents just hunkered down in amazement and watched the wild weather from home.

"Hail started coming down. It was like marble size, it was a little bit bigger than a marble," said Shelby Green, another Leona Valley resident. "Luckily, we didn't have to go out so we just stayed put."

Fortunately, there were no reports of serious injuries. Everyone made it out in one piece. Now, many are focusing on the cleanup.

Local restaurant Jack's Place was right in the path of the mud.

"We had a couple firefighters stop and give us some sandbags so we were able to block off some of the doors, but it still didn't stop the water from coming in," said Jessica Reaves, the restaurant owner. "We were probably about 3 inches thick in mud this morning. We've been cleaning off and pressure washing all of that."

Leona Valley is a small community where just about everyone knows your name, and some are hoping that familiarity will help as residents dig out and clean up.

"I've had probably every regular I know stopping this morning and last night, making sure we're OK, so that's been really cool," Reaves said.

Isolated thunderstorms were expected to bring more rain Friday afternoon to the desert and mountain communities.