MOTHER NATURE

2 Dead in Southern California Storms

Heavy rain and strong winds unleashed chaos on residents.

Two people were killed Friday in a storm that wreaked havoc on Southern and Central California, leaving one man electrocuted and another killed in heavy floods. More than 300 flights at Los Angeles International Airport were delayed or canceled as a result of the storm, which also prompted evacuations in some areas where mudslides were expected. Among the victims was a 55-year-old man who was electrocuted when a downed power line fell on his car in Sherman Oaks. Another person was found dead in a submerged vehicle after flooding hit San Bernardino County, authorities said. The storm, with winds of 70 mph, affected mostly Southern California, but the effects were felt as far up as San Francisco. The National Weather Service said it may have been the strongest storm to strike the area since 1995.