reporter: it is pretty rough. it varies depending on what part of the city you re in. this neighborhood that i m in is, you can think of it as almost a small residential community. and here the military has arrived. there is an active search and rescue operation going on. they re still trying to find people according to various reports we ve seen, especially talking to some of the residents there are a few hundred people missing in this community. and you can really understand why as i take a look around i m looking at two cars piled on top of each other. they are just sitting on top of each other. houses have been pushed around and completely flattened. one part where there were a dozen houses, gone. what you see in their place? debris. water is everywhere. mud is everywhere. trees have been snapped into tooth picks. it is truly a scene of
look around and you see the neighborhood, i mean, wow. yes, i know. and it brings back memories of a childhood, and my mother would plant all these flowers, they re gone. we could get cuttings from them. reporter: i mention that s we weren t allowed until this neighborhood about two hours ago literally because take a look, there are power lines in your back yard here. yes. reporter: that s why authorities said hey, it s too dangerous for folks like joe and others to get into the neighborhood but when you look around and see the trees that have weathered many a storm just snap like tooth picks. big trees. reporter: you re talking about a powerful storm. i tried three days to get here and this is the first day we can get here and i understand why. they wanted to be sure we were safe. so it s bringing back memory, but we can all thank goodness we have our lives. reporter: what s your plan? are you going to rebuild here?
here in los angeles, a severe winter storm caused thunder russ mud slides to take out dozens of vehicle as it swept through the foothills area. 41 homes were damaged, 500 people were evacuated. heavy rapes overflowed debris basins as the winter storm brought down hill sides weakened by wildfire. we have about five houses completely destroyed up here and another 30 to 50 houses that have water and mud in them but luckily at this time we don t have any major injuries reported. the enormous blocks p set up in anticipation of the mud slides but the force of the mud slides pushed them out of the way. it pushed the kay ropes down the streets like tooth picks and took the cars with it and took a few of the houses out too,. sounded like a real loud noise or thunder or a train coming or something like that which i knew it couldn t be and
here in los angeles, a severe winter storm caused thunder russ mud slides to take out dozens of vehicle as it swept through the foothills area. 41 homes were damaged, 500 people were evacuated. heavy rapes overflowed debris basins as the winter storm brought down hill sides weakened by wildfire. we have about five houses completely destroyed up here and another 30 to 50 houses that have water and mud in them but luckily at this time we don t have any major injuries reported. the enormous blocks p set up in anticipation of the mud slides but the force of the mud slides pushed them out of the way. it pushed the kay ropes down the streets like tooth picks and took the cars with it and took a few of the houses out too,. sounded like a real loud noise or thunder or a train coming or something like that which i knew it couldn t be and just when you looked out the
here in los angeles, a severe winter storm caused thunder russ mud slides to take out dozens of vehicle as it swept through the foothills area. 41 homes were damaged, 500 people were evacuated. heavy rapes overflowed debris basins as the winter storm brought down hill sides weakened by wildfire. we have about five houses completely destroyed up here and another 30 to 50 houses that have water and mud in them but luckily at this time we don t have any major injuries reported. the enormous blocks p set up in anticipation of the mud slides but the force of the mud slides pushed them out of the way. it pushed the kay ropes down the streets like tooth picks and took the cars with it and took a few of the houses out too,. sounded like a real loud noise or thunder or a train coming or something like that which i knew it couldn t be and just when you looked out the