http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/heavy-rain-leads-to-landslides-in-southern-california

Interestingly, 1969 was not an El Nino year: http://www.sbsun.com/environment-and-nature/20151012/el-ninos-impact-on-southern-california-over-the-years

I remember a week in February of 1969 of Biblical proportions, but that did not deter me from riding my clunky Schwinn Typhoon (aptly named for this ride,) down Valley Blvd to watch the SP at COI. There had been a derailment in the yard, and one of SP's remaining steam cranes was cleaning up the mess. I will never forget the sight and sound of the rain hissing off of the the top of the crane's roof.