SEDONA, Ariz. (AP) – A powerful storm battered the West for a third straight day Wednesday, forcing hundreds of people out of a scenic region of Arizona, sending recreational vehicles floating down a flooded creek and turning Southern California freeways into a virtual demolition derby.

The storm spawned a tornado in Southern California and blacked out more than 140,000 customers in the area while making for treacherous driving conditions. The California Highway Patrol logged 220 crashes between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning – more than three times the normal amount.

Police reported hundreds of traffic accidents around Las Vegas, where firefighters rescued several drivers from cars stalled in deep water. No serious injuries were reported.

At least 300 people were evacuated because of flooding in low-lying areas of Sedona, where Oak Creek rose 11 feet during the night, reaching 14 feet by late morning. It was likely to crest at 16½ feet, the National Weather Service said.

“I’ve been here since 1977 … This is the worst,” said Marc Spector, owner of the Hideaway Restaurant, which is perched on a cliff overlooking Oak Creek.

Some homes had minor flooding and people were stranded in water-logged vehicles in Sedona, a town of some 10,000 people surrounded by towering red rock formations that draw hundreds of thousands of tourists.

Large RVs were seen floating down Oak Creek southwest of Sedona. Elsewhere, 100 people were evacuated from two mobile home parks in Black Canyon City about 40 miles north of Phoenix. The rain also caused rock slides, authorities said.

Up to 2.4 inches of rain had fallen on parts of the rugged area of central Arizona, the weather service said. The California tornado struck two Los Angeles suburbs after midnight, ripping the roof off a house, snapping trees and damaging cars, but causing no injuries.

“I didn’t expect a tornado out here in Los Angeles. I mean, that’s back in the Midwest where I’m from,” resident Derek Williams told KCAL-TV.

Storm-related deaths since Monday mounted to five in California, and several highways were closed because of flooding and mudslides, officials said. High wind in San Diego County snapped off the top 200 feet of the KSON radio tower in National City.

By early Wednesday, downtown Los Angeles had logged 6.37 inches of rain since late Sunday. Tuesday’s total alone was 5.55 inches, the city’s rainiest December day since record-keeping started in 1877.

On Monday, San Francisco was hit by more than 3 inches of rain and suburban Marin County got more than 7 inches.

In Utah, 19 inches of snow fell at the Brian Head Resort, but skiers couldn’t take advantage of it because 70 mph wind prevented the resort from starting its chair lifts.


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