Storms leave south California under water

WHO says it never rains in southern California?

Storms have battered the area for the past week, leaving a trail of floods and and mudslides.

They were easing last night, giving residents a chance to assess the damage and begin the clean-up. But forecasters had warned of further severe thunderstorms, and flash-flood watches remained in effect throughout the day.

A dry weekend is forecast, but the risk of mudslides can last up to 72 hours after the rains have stopped.

Since the beginning of the week, officials have ordered that more than 1,200 homes should be evacuated.

As more showers were predicted, the saturated ground threatened to send damaging debris downhill. Authorities said an extensive flood-control system was working, but many of the basins designed to catch debris-laden runoff from fire-scarred mountains were full and evacuations were necessary, adding that residents of endangered homes should obey evacuation orders.

"It's not safe to say that we're out of the clear just yet," said the Los Angeles County public works director, Gail Farber.

Storms from the Pacific have led to several deaths across the state, flooded urban areas and have turned the region's often-dry river and creek channels into raging torrents.