ACTON, Calif. (AP) — A Southern California desert community is cleaning up after thunderstorms unleashed muddy torrents through streets, threatened a commuter rail line and forced at least one rescue of a trapped motorist.
The downpours struck Thursday afternoon north of Los Angeles in semi-rural Acton as monsoonal flow of extremely moist air streaming across the region boiled up into huge thunderheads.
One man trapped in a pickup truck surrounded by an instant river of muddy water had to be hoisted to safety by a helicopter crew.
Rushing water damaged tracks used by the regional Metrolink commuter train service between Los Angeles and the high desert Antelope Valley. Metrolink is reporting train delays and cancellations Friday morning.
Southern California has no current weather warnings, but forecasters say there's still a chance of thunderstorms.