LOS ANGELES—A powerful storm charged south through California on Tuesday, drenching the drought-stricken state with desperately needed rain but also triggering rescue efforts on a swollen river and mandatory evacuations due to the threat of mudslides in some areas scarred by wildfires. The National Weather Service reported remarkable rainfall in several parts of the state. North of the Golden Gate Bridge, Mount Tamalpais accumulated more than 11 inches over 72 hours. By early Tuesday, nearly 7 inches of rain had fallen in one area of Santa Barbara County, northwest of Los Angeles. More than 4.6 inches fell within 24 hours in Orange County’s Silverado Canyon, south of LA, where sheriff’s deputies rescued residents from homes inundated by mudslides. Los Angeles firefighters searched the surging Los Angeles River on Tuesday after discovering two submerged vehicles wedged against a bridge pillar south of downtown and learning that a third vehicle had been …