OAK GLEN, Calif. (RTW News) — Heavy rain sparked mudslides and debris flows in multiple Southern California communities, forcing authorities to rescue stranded drivers and impacting several homes.
No injuries were reported, and all individuals were safely extracted from the affected areas as officials focused on assessing the damage.
According to the National Weather Service, remnants of Tropical Storm Mario resulted in intense rainfall, leading to over an hour of heavy rainfall on Thursday afternoon. Communities such as Forest Falls, Oak Glen, and Potato Canyon were notably affected.
Rescuers reported helping ten individuals trapped on state Route 38, a perilous, winding road that connects various towns to Big Bear Lake.
One driver, Kael Steel, recounted his experience as he attempted to navigate through the unpredictable weather. Suddenly we started seeing rocks and stuff coming down the side of the mountain, he explained.
Steel tried to turn back but found roads blocked by landslides. There’s no road there anymore, he stated, reflecting on the rapid deterioration of the route.
As of Friday morning, the California Highway Patrol indicated that affected routes remained closed while crews conducted damage assessments.
The community obviously has been impacted fairly significantly. How bad, we don’t know yet, said Christopher Prater, a public information officer for San Bernardino County Fire.
The rainfall intensity was significant, with the region receiving 1.5 inches (approximately 3.8 centimeters) in just one hour. In total, nearly two inches fell in a brief two-hour period, well above the typical summer storm averages.
Residents of Forest Falls were rattled, recalling similar incidents in past years when previous mudslides followed devastating wildfires that left the area vulnerable. Meteorologist Kyle Wheeler remarked, This flood-prone location experiencing such intense rainfall rates is indeed unfortunate.
