California
Rent soaring in these LA ZIP codes after California wildfires, report says
Price gougers, scammers will be publicly shamed: LA DA says
LA County DA Nathan Hochman is warning those looking to scam or price gouge wildfire victims – “stop it now.”
LOS ANGELES – Real estate companies in Los Angeles County are being accused of price gouging in a new report, as thousands of people are looking for places to live after their homes were destroyed in the Palisades and Eaton Fires.
The new report from The Rent Brigade, a group that has been tracking rental listings since the fires first broke out, showed more than 1,300 instances of price gouging on rentals in the days since the fires started.
“Put simply, this is disaster capitalism at work,” the report’s authors wrote.
SUGGESTED: California AG warns 200+ landlords, hotels of price gouging after California wildfires
Both the Palisades and Eaton fires erupted on Jan. 7. On that day, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency. California law prohibits “excessive and unjustified” price increases on goods and services, including rentals, during a state of emergency.
Typically, that means no increases of more than 10% for listings that were available before the emergency declaration. For things like new listings and re-listed properties, those rents can’t be more than 160% of the Fair Market Value in that ZIP code, which is determined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The number of “rent gouged” listings, grouped by ZIP code. (Credit: The Rent Brigade)
For their report, The Rent Brigade collected data from Zillow listings from Jan. 7 to Jan. 18. They found 1,343 unique instances of listings that violated those rules. The data showed every size of rental saw major price increases in the days after Jan. 7, with rental prices for two-bedroom units growing by 80%.
In terms of sheer number of “rental gouging” listings, most of them were concentrated in Malibu, near the site of the Palisades Fire, and most of West LA.
Below is a list of the “Top 10 ZIP codes impacted by rent gouging.”
Even more concerning, the report found “listings at the lower end of the price spectrum are seeing significantly higher illegal rent hikes compared to those at the upper end.”
The group also found a number of “repeat actors,” who were tied to multiple instances of price gouging. Compass was found to be the top offender in the report, with nearly 60 property listings in violation of the rules for both existing and new listings. According to the Rental Brigade, Compass listed properties at prices nearly 900% higher than their fair market value.
FOX 11 has reached out to Compass for comment, but has not heard back.
“Landlords and brokers are exploiting the current crisis to extract millions of dollars from tenants unlawfully,” the report’s authors wrote. “This is a textbook example of disaster capitalism, where greed flourishes in the midst of crisis, leaving displaced individuals and precariously housed tenants to bear the brunt of exploitation.”
California
Placer County crews rescue baby, family from home surrounded by raging river
PLACER COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) — Heavy rain and flooding impacted Northern California over the weekend, leading to rescues and evacuations throughout the region.
In Placer County, emergency crews carefully and slowly rescued a baby in a carrier, sliding it on a ladder over a rushing river.
The raging South Yuba River overtook the home, where nine people were rescued by the Truckee Fire Protection District.
As of Monday morning, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said an evacuation warning continues to be in effect for areas along the South Yuba River between Donner Pass Road and Cisco Road.
The storm is also swamping parts of Humboldt County, where the sheriff’s office shared pictures of goats stranded on someone’s doorstep.
This is near the Freshwater area – near Arcata, where high water forced several evacuations.
Crews arrived in jet skis to assist residents.
In Redding, one person died after major flooding.
Water took over streets and entire neighborhoods.
Several people had to be rescued, and Interstate 5 was also flooded, impacting holiday drivers.
LIVE UPDATES: Storms flood parts of NorCal with heavy rain as alerts expand to entire Bay Area
In Mendocino County, Willits received more than 6 inches of rain in 48 hours, flooding parks in the area.
With more rain in the forecast, rescue crews are prepared and people are reminded not to ever drive through standing water.
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California
Flash flooding in Northern California leads to soaked roads, water rescues and a death
REDDING, Calif. — Heavy rain and flash flooding soaked roads in northern California, leading to water rescues from vehicles and homes and at least one confirmed death, authorities said Monday.
In Redding, a city at the northern end of the Central Valley, one motorist died after calling 911 while trapped in their vehicle as it filled up with water, Mayor Mike Littau posted online Monday. Police said they received numerous calls for drivers stranded in flooded areas.
“Redding police officer swam out into the water, broke the windows and pulled victim to shore. CPR was done but the person did not live,” Littau wrote.
The weather in the coming days could be even more dangerous, he warned.
The National Weather Service expected more rain through the Christmas week as a series of atmospheric rivers was forecast to make its way through Northern California. A large swath of the Sacramento Valley and surrounding areas were under a flood watch through Friday.
The weather pattern was expected to intensify by midweek, which could lead to potential mudslides, rockslides and flooding of creeks and streams, forecasters warned. Up to 6 feet of snow was predicted for parts of the Sierra Nevada and winds could reach 55 mph in high elevations by Wednesday.
Southern California can also expect a soggy Christmas, with heavy rain in the forecast starting Tuesday evening. The National Weather Service urged people to make backup plans for holiday travel.
In Redding and surrounding areas, between 3 and 6 inches had fallen by Sunday night, the National Weather Service said.
As of Monday morning, local roads in Redding remained flooded as street crews worked to clear debris and tow out abandoned cars.
Dekoda Cruz waded in knee-deep muddy water to check on a friend’s flooded tire business, where the office was littered with a jumble of furniture and bobbing tires.
In the mountain pass area of Donner Summit, firefighters in Truckee extended a ladder to stranded residents at a house along the South Yuba River, the fire department posted online Sunday. No injuries were reported.
Atmospheric rivers are long, narrow bands of water vapor that form over an ocean and flow through the sky, transporting moisture from the tropics to northern latitudes.
Earlier this month, stubborn atmospheric rivers that drenched Washington state with nearly 5 trillion gallons of rain in a week, threatening record flood levels, meteorologists said. That rainfall was supercharged by warm weather and air plus unusual weather conditions tracing back as far as a tropical cyclone in Indonesia.
California
Christmas storm still on track to hit Southern California. Here is when the heaviest rain arrives
Southern California is preparing for a powerful winter storm over the Christmas holiday, with forecasters warning of heavy rainfall, gusty winds, and potential flooding across the region.
According to the National Weather Service, the storm will bring an extended period of significant rainfall from Tuesday through Saturday, with totals expected to reach 4 to 8 inches across coastal and valley areas and 8 to 12 inches or more in the foothills and mountains by Saturday evening. Officials are urging residents to take necessary precautions, as flooding and debris flows could pose serious risks throughout the week.
The first, and most impactful, surge of rain is expected Tuesday night into Wednesday, when a moderate to strong atmospheric river will target the area. During this period, rainfall totals could reach 2 to 5 inches in coastal and valley regions and 5 to 10 inches in foothills and mountain areas, with hourly rates of 0.75 to 1.25 inches possible. The extended rainfall and intensity raise concerns about widespread urban flooding, mud and debris flows, and hazardous driving conditions, particularly during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
A flood watch has been issued for all four counties from Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday evening, and the National Weather Service recommends that residents begin taking protective actions now.
In addition to heavy rain, strong southerly winds are expected Tuesday and Wednesday, particularly in the mountains and foothills, with the potential to knock down trees and cause power outages. Officials are advising residents to avoid swollen creeks and rivers, refrain from unnecessary ocean activity, and take precautions such as parking vehicles away from tall trees during periods of strong wind.
Forecasters emphasized that the timing and intensity of the storm could still change and encouraged residents to monitor updates from the National Weather Service and KTLA’s meteorologists.
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