California's deadly winter storm

One of the busiest freeway in the L.A. area, the 101, on Monday night: no cars, but two feet of water.

O men. I feel like living in Europe. Crappy, nasty weather. Rainfall like crazy - for the seventh day in a row. And the damages are huge:

Snow, mudslides and unrelenting rain were blamed for at least ten deaths as a series of lethal and destructive storms pounded through California, authorities said. Mayor James K. Hahn urged President Bush to declare a federal disaster in Los Angeles, where damage to public and private structures, including at least 96 homes made uninhabitable, was estimated at $10 million. Dozens of streets throughout Southern California were blocked by mud, snow, rocks and debris. More than 50 roads and freeway lanes in the Los Angeles county remained closed or restricted by storm damage.
Rising floodwaters and sliding mud invaded dozens of homes, toppled others, interrupted commuter rail service and snarled highway traffic. A cloudburst and clogged drains left about two feet of water standing on the Hollywood Freeway in Hollywood on Monday night, halting traffic in both directions at Santa Monica Boulevard. Hundreds of vehicles were stranded in the water, and traffic backed up for five miles in both directions, remaining at a standstill in spots even five hours later. Power outages were reported throughout Southern California. Hail pelted several areas and thunder rumbled across the region. Power outages were reported throughout Southern California. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the West Coast is in the thrall of El Niño, a cyclical oceanographic and meteorological phenomenon in which Southern California often gets heavier rain than usual.
About a dozen homes were evacuated Monday because of flooding and mudslides. A sodden hillside gave way in Bel-Air, carrying a swimming pool that dumped water into three homes on Roberto Lane. A city engineer fell to his death in a sinkhole in Sun Valley on Sunday. Despite the Presidents Day holiday, there were more than 300 traffic crashes on rain-slick roads in the county during a 14-hour period that ended Monday morning, the California Highway Patrol said. That's four to six times the normal amount for a 24-hour period without rain. Several streets and highways were closed throughout the Los Angeles county due to flooding or debris blocking the road.

The good news: The storm is coming to and end. According to the forecast we should even see some sunrays very soon. Halleluja! Plus: The pictures from the devastation throughout Southern California.