Motorists made their way though high water on several streets in Torrance late Tuesday afternoon as a burst of heavy rain dropped more than 3 inches of precipitation in the area.

The deluge occurred amid a flash-flood warning that was issued for south-central Los Angeles County and was scheduled to remain in effect until 6:45 p.m., the National Weather Service said.

Shortly before 6 p.m., radar indicated storms over Torrance had weakened and were drifting northwest toward Hawthorne, according to the weather service.

Major flooding was seen in the area of Torrance Boulevard and Van Ness Avenue (map), where several vehicles were towed from the inundated roadways.

Among the disabled vehicles was Roger Neilson’s Mercedes-Benz sedan.

“My car died,” he said, adding that water rose up into the vehicle and swept it away. “I was in disbelief. I was like: What is happening? I rolled down my window, and that’s when the fire department came and got us out of the car.”

In the same area, multiple businesses along Western Avenue were flooded as several inches of water covered nearby streets and sidewalks.

Many people in the area took to social media, where they posted photos and videos of stranded vehicles and pools of rain water on roads and in parking lots.

After the downpour, a man and his two young children took advantage of the opportunity to have some fun.

Outside one building, an area near a loading dock had filled with water and created a small lake. As Rob Lykins looked on, his son and daughter got into the family’s small boat and paddled through the impromptu body of water.

“Mom’s working, so we’re just checking it out and riding along and having fun in the rain,” Lykins said.

More Video:

http://instagram.com/p/wsH2OJtDRW/?modal=true

http://instagram.com/p/wsG1ZlkVHP/