Wet, wild morning leaves some in a hole

Marisa O’Neil

Pounding rain and wicked winds early Wednesday caused flooding in

some areas, closed county parks and knocked one light pole down.

More than 3 inches of rain fell in 10 hours in Costa Mesa, weather

watcher Chuck Doucot reported. The heavy rains caused major flooding

at the intersection of Pomona Avenue and 17th Street.

“There were three cars that were almost completely submerged,”

Costa Mesa Police Sgt. Marty Carver said. “The water took a manhole

cover off and a tow-truck driver fell in, but fortunately he was able

to catch himself.”

Cars were stranded and had to be towed from that intersection at

about 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, and from other areas including Sunflower

Avenue at Fuchsia Avenue and 19th Street between Pomona Avenue and

Park Avenue, Costa Mesa Police officer Bryan Wadkins said. A Harbor

Boulevard onramp to the San Diego Freeway was also closed Wednesday

morning.

A light pole at the corner of Harbor Boulevard and Fair Drive blew

over in the storm, Carver said. Newport Beach and Costa Mesa

experienced intermittent power disruptions in the high winds,

according to Southern California Edison spokesman Marlon Walker.

The storm dropped 3 1/2 inches of rain in Doucot’s rain gauge at

his Mesa Verde home from midnight to 10 a.m. Wednesday. Doucot is a

volunteer weather spotter for the National Weather Service.

He also measured winds at 30 knots with gusts up to 50 knots.

Nearly 3 inches of rain fell at John Wayne Airport in the same

time period, according to the National Weather Service.

The precipitation came from an Alaskan storm that pulled up

moisture from the southwest, National Weather Service forecaster Stan

Wasowski said. Showers are expected to continue until Friday morning,

he said.

Soggy conditions closed 20 Orange County regional parks, including

the Upper Newport Bay and Talbert preserves.

“The parks’ trails are soggy, and there’s a lot of debris on the

trails,” groundskeeper Portia Arutunian said.

The Muth Interpretive Center at Upper Newport Bay remained open,

she said.

Between 4 and 11 a.m. Wednesday, the California Highway Patrol

reported 198 crashes in Orange County, officer Denise Quesada said.

On a normal day during those hours, they get between 10 and 30 calls

-- with 30 being very busy, she said.

Costa Mesa had about 10 accidents, twice as many as normal,

Wadkins estimated. Common sense and caution could have helped prevent

many of those, he said.

Motorists should avoid driving through water and driving in

outside lanes that often fill with water. If they do drive through

high water, he said, people should tap their brakes once they get out

to make sure they’re dry and working.

Checking tire treads and windshield wipers at the beginning of the

rainy season can help drivers avoid problems on the road, he said.

And a little extra time and space go a long way to avoid

weather-related accidents, he said.

“When it’s raining, the easiest thing to do is slow down and give

yourself more space,” Wadkins said. “Take the time and leave early so

you’re not rushing everywhere. Drive slow and use caution.”

* MARISA O’NEIL covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (714) 966-4618 or by e-mail at marisa.oneil@latimes.com.