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Widespread Rain Causes Severe Flooding and Road Closures Across SoCal

The heavy rainfall over Southern California has caused severe flooding leading to dangerous driving conditions.

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With the ongoing effort to repair potholes caused by the recent rains, the northbound SR-71 at Holt Avenue in Pomona is expected to remain closed for at least another three hours, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Dozens of vehicles were spotted alongside the freeway this morning after being damaged by potholes along the stretch.

Wednesday morning the traffic from this closure was backed up all the way from the Westbound 60 Freeway connector.

In Baldwin Hills, the northbound lanes of South La Brea are closed as heavy rainfall caused a powerful mudslide and threatened the foundation of a home.

South La Brea is closed by Don Lorenzo Drive until Coliseum as city officials and crews work to remove the mud from the street and assess property damage. The mudslide trapped at least two vehicles in the early morning. One of the drivers told NBC4 that he was driving home from work when the mud began to slide down the hill and eventually ended up in front of his vehicle.

"The mud pushed me over to the next lane and at that point I couldn't move anymore for at least half an hour," the driver said.

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The rest of the road will remain closed for quite sometime as the heavy rain continues to fall.

While one mudslide trapped at least two cars on La Brea Avenue, another debris flow is blocking a street after a tree and mud crumbled down from a hillside beneath a home.

In the city of Commerce, the LA County Fire Department responded to calls around 3 a.m. that multiple vehicles were trapped in high water.

Firefighters arrived to South Atlantic Boulevard and Sheila Street and were able to push the car from the deepwater to a safer location. City officials arrived on scene and shut down both directions of Atlantic Boulevard.

Also in Jurupa Valley the Riverside County Fire Department saved a driver from swift moving water on Beach Street and 58th Street.

Around 3 a.m. firefighters and members of the swift water team were able to access the vehicle and bring the driver to safety.

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As the rain continues authorities will continue to shut down roadways that are presenting dangerous driving conditions.

Rain will continue to fall the rest of the Wednesday morning and last until the early evening before skies begin to clear.

The wind advisory issued in LA County has been lifted but remains over the San Bernardino County mountains until 9 p.m.

The rest of the week will remain dry and there will be a break from wet weather.

Los Angeles city officials said four Sepulveda Basin intersections were shut down at least through the morning due to heavy rain from the previous night: Victory Boulevard and Woodley Avenue; Burbank Boulevard and the San Diego (405) Freeway; Burbank and Havenhurst Avenue; and Burbank and Balboa Boulevard.

Late Tuesday, Caltrans announced that all lanes of Pacific Coast Highway were closed between Seapoint Street and Warner Avenue in Huntington Beach due to flooding.

In Beverly Hills, a sinkhole temporarily closed northbound Beverly Drive to Coldwater Canyon.

City News Service contributed to this reporting.

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