Rain was battering Long Beach this morning, as more than half an inch fell in the span of just a few hours during what forecasters predicted would be the heaviest storm of the season. The squall also brought wind gusts up to 25 mph Tuesday morning.

The storm was already causing traffic problems by 7 a.m., with a car hydroplaning off the 710 Freeway near Del Amo Boulevard. No injuries were reported.

Los Angeles County and Long Beach fire crews also crowded the overpasses above Coyote Creek in East Long Beach after getting reports of someone possibly being swept away by the water in the swollen channel. Crews had not spotted anyone as of about 8:30 a.m. and soon called off the search.

Coyote Creek was swollen with storm runoff this morning when authorities got a report of someone possibly in the water. Photo by Stephen Carr.

A similar situation unfolded on the other side of Long Beach when several cars washed into the Los Angeles River near downtown Los Angeles around 10 a.m. Long Beach Fire Department crews watched from bridges as one of the cars washed down the river, but the water was too high for them to attempt a rescue or see if anyone was inside, according to a department spokesman.

Officials urged drivers to take care on wet roads.

The Department of Public Works also suspended street sweeping for Tuesday, with plans to resume sweeping on Wednesday.

Forecasters said coastal areas and the valleys around Los Angeles County could get up to 3 inches of rain during the storm, while mountains and foothills could see up to 5 inches.

“Due to the threat of heavy rain bands and a slight chance of thunderstorms capable of producing high intensity short duration rainfall, there will be the potential for debris flows over recent burn areas as well as significant roadway flooding,” according to the National Weather Service.

Rain will progress from northwest to southeast, with the heaviest rain over Los Angeles County expected to fall between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Tuesday, forecasters said.

City News Service contributed to this report.

‘Most significant storm of the season’ expected late Monday, Tuesday