Flood Warnings

The National Weather Service has canceled a severe thunderstorm warning and flash flood warning for Los Angeles County, saying the inclement weather has moved out of the area and into Kern County. A series of fast-moving thunderstorms moved through the region starting early Saturday, bringing bizarre and hazardous weather throughout the day. Areas of Orange County were pelted with marble-size hailstones, and heavy rain flooded roadways in the Antelope Valley. Lightning strikes sparked dozens of small fires across the region.

The last in a series of punishing storms swept through Northern California on Sunday, leaving downed power lines, cracked tree limbs and buckets of rain - but not, it appeared, the disastrous flooding that authorities had feared. Since Wednesday, a string of storms had passed through the region. Each passed over an unusual band of tropical moisture hovering above the Pacific. That was the root of the concern: Officials feared that the warmed storms would leave a torrent of rain rather than snow, and flooding was feared along at least seven rivers.

Winds and fierce rains lashed parts of the Northwest, putting the region on alert for flooding on Tuesday, officials said. The storm, which began on Monday, cut power to about 50,000 people overall, though most had service restored within hours. At least one death was reported. According to the National Weather Service, flood warnings were issued for parts of the Skokomish River area in Mason County and the Satsop River in Grays Harbor County, both in the state of Washington.

Winds and fierce rains lashed parts of the Northwest, putting the region on alert for flooding on Tuesday, officials said. The storm, which began on Monday, cut power to about 50,000 people overall, though most had service restored within hours. At least one death was reported. According to the National Weather Service, flood warnings were issued for parts of the Skokomish River area in Mason County and the Satsop River in Grays Harbor County, both in the state of Washington.

Ventura city officials on Thursday said they have been forced to turn to a private contractor for warnings of potential floods or mudslides because county officials refuse to take on the responsibility. Although Ventura County flood-control officials say they have never received an official request to provide such flood warnings, city officials said the county was not receptive to the idea at informal meetings on the issue.

Downpours hit Southern California mountain and desert areas Thursday as subtropical moisture spilled northward from Mexico to trigger intense thunderstorms across several states. Flash-flood warnings were issued for the mountains and adjacent desert areas of San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego, Imperial and Inyo counties during the day, but no major problems were reported--despite scattered drenchings, occasional whipping winds, lightning and hail.

A Pacific storm triggered showers over the the Washington coast on Friday as moist ocean air brought more precipitation to areas already soaked by several days of rain, weather officials said. Flood warnings were posted for several western Washington rivers. At the same time, winds gusted to nearly 50 m.p.h. across much of Washington state, with gusts to 70 m.p.h. near Hanford.

Ventura County has notified the owner of a recreational vehicle park swamped by recent flooding that the county does not have to provide flood warnings to the park's owner until he agrees to formal warning and evacuation procedures. Ventura RV Resort owner Arnold Hubbard, in turn, has informed county officials that his operating permit is still in force and has called on them to "immediately shoulder your legal responsibility."

Anticipating surf that could reach 10 feet at local beaches this afternoon, forecasters warned that accompanying high tides may cause flooding in Seal Beach, Surfside and the Huntington Cliffs areas. "On a scale from one to 10, this is an eight," said Sean Collins, a meteorologist with the Surfline/Wavetrak forecasting service in Huntington Beach. "This is something to watch out for."

The first in what is expected to be a series of drenching winter storms has prompted flood warnings and swelled Northern California rivers to their highest levels in seven years. Warnings went into effect across the northern half of the state after the first storm swept through Tuesday and Wednesday. Steady downpours and rising rivers led to an evacuation, scattered power outages and flooded roads and parks.

The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Warning for parts of Southeast Los Angeles County as heavy thunderstorms moves into the area. The warning extends to 6:30 p.m. and covers such areas as Monterey Park, East Los Angeles, Huntington Park and Montebello. The NWS said the storm could produce two inches of rain in an hour. Southern California is expected to be hit by rain Thursday evening, causing potential problems from the evening commute. More soon.

Tropical Storm Debby continued its eastward track on Tuesday, bringing nasty rains and flooding to northern Florida, where many roads -- including a major highway -- were forced to shut down. For a tropical storm, Debby was taking baby steps, moving at about 3 miles per hour as it shifted from the Gulf of Mexico toward northern Florida, where landfall was expected late Tuesday or Wednesday. Though the storm appeared stuck, its effects -- flooding and high winds -- were being felt along the Florida Panhandle and the western coast.

Low-lying neighborhoods in northern Florida remained threatened by possible flooding on Monday as Tropical Storm Debby slowly worked its way through the Gulf of Mexico. Fierce winds and heavy rains lashed the Sunshine State, causing flooding in several areas and warnings to residents to seek higher ground. The storm seemed to be stalled or moving but slowly from its perch in the waters of the gulf. Drenching rains and a slow-moving storm center mean that parts of Florida could get 10 to 25 inches of rain in the coming days, forecasters said.

A tornado touched down in San Antonio, striking from the leading edge of a severe weather system expected to move through about half a dozen states today. Flooding and more twisters were possible, officials said. Flood warnings were posted from eastern Texas through the lower Mississippi Valley, according to the National Weather Service. "Severe thunderstorms" were possible "for today into tonight from portions of Arkansas into eastern Texas, Louisiana and extreme southwestern Mississippi,” the weather service said.

Four southern Louisiana parishes were under a state of emergency Tuesday after heavy rains poured through the region, causing flash flooding. According to the governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness , a state of emergency was declared in Acadia, St. Landry, St. Martin and Lafayette parishes. No injuries were reported, but at least 77 residents had to be rescued from high water in Carencro , a town in Lafayette Parish, the state agency said.

The death toll from a devastating late-season storm in the southern Philippines rose Sunday to more than 700 after massive floods washed away entire villages, drowned residents who had been sleeping and swept victims out to sea, authorities said. Hundreds remained missing as beleaguered rescue workers patrolled the Philippine Sea off Mindanao Island in search of bodies. Officials attributed the rising toll from Typhoon Washi to the unlucky confluence of such factors as the absence of a flood warning, high tide, darkness and a false sense of security.

A spring snowstorm that battered the Deep South pushed into the Ohio Valley and central Appalachians on Saturday, creating near-blizzard conditions and making travel hazardous, while a cold wave on the heels of the storm stung the Southeast. In southeastern Ohio, snow fell at the rate of an inch an hour. Heavy rain fell farther east, prompting flood warnings and watches in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Vermont and southern New England. In Wayne, N.J.

An unexpectedly powerful winter storm hit Southern California late Monday, dropping occasionally heavy rain that threatened to trigger mudslides below slopes stripped bare in last fall's wildfires. The National Weather Service issued a bulletin at 10 p.m. Monday warning of slides in canyons and flooding in low-lying intersections. Small-craft warnings were issued along the coast, and forecasters warned of gale-force winds in the Catalina Channel.

The National Weather Service has canceled a severe thunderstorm warning and flash flood warning for Los Angeles County, saying the inclement weather has moved out of the area and into Kern County. A series of fast-moving thunderstorms moved through the region starting early Saturday, bringing bizarre and hazardous weather throughout the day. Areas of Orange County were pelted with marble-size hailstones, and heavy rain flooded roadways in the Antelope Valley. Lightning strikes sparked dozens of small fires across the region.

Powerful storms unleashed tornadoes and flooding across the Midwest on Saturday and forced the evacuation of a small Iowa town after a major break in a nearby dam. Hopkinton, a town of about 640 in northeastern Iowa, was evacuated as 10 inches of rain in 12 hours swelled the Maquoketa River and caused the failure of the Lake Delhi dam. "We're talking about a catastrophic break in the dam, which has never happened before," Iowa Gov. Chet...