Long Beach, CA – Streets in the Naples neighborhood of Long Beach briefly transformed into waterways Saturday as a powerful Southern California storm brought important rainfall to the region.
As water levels rose, residents found a silver lining in the unusual situation. Photos circulated showing two young cousins, Lazlow and Layla Acuna, enjoying the floodwaters with a ride on a neighbor’s kayak.
“It was crazy, but it was also so fun because we where getting wet and everything,” Lazlow said.
“It was very fun, also,” Layla added.
Over the past 48 hours, some areas of Los Angeles County experienced more than 4 inches of rain. While rainfall totals for Long Beach haven’t been officially released, resident Daniel Acuna, father to one of the kayakers, reported water reached as high as an inch above his porch.
“It actually got up to an inch above our porch right here,” he said. “When I came back, it started even getting worse so it was a little scary, but I knew that it would be taken care of.”
City crews responded quickly, arriving with sandbags and pumps to clear the flooded streets. Within hours, the excess water was removed, and the area was deemed safe.
“It was coming up on the sidewalks,” said Anastasia Palmondon, a Naples resident. “Everyone was putting on their rainboots to go out and chat with all the neighbors, so we’re just glad that it was taken care of and we can leave our streets now.”
City officials stated that some storm drain pumps either failed or were overwhelmed by the volume of rainwater. No injuries were reported in connection with the flooding.
Southern California experienced a brief respite from the wet weather on sunday, but another storm system is forecast to impact the region on Monday, according to NBC Los Angeles. Concerns remain for areas affected by recent wildfires, which are vulnerable to potential mudslides.
