OAK GLEN, Calif. — Heavy rain led to mudslides and debris flows in several Southern California communities, toppling trees, damaging homes, and stranding drivers for 10 hours, according to authorities.
Thankfully, no injuries or missing persons were reported, and authorities successfully rescued those affected, noted Christopher Prater, a spokesperson for San Bernardino County Fire, on Friday.
Late Thursday, mudslides hit the small mountain communities of Forest Falls, Oak Glen, and Potato Canyon in San Bernardino County, just east of Los Angeles, as stated by the county’s fire protection district.
The fire district reported that 10 people traveling in at least six vehicles were rescued after becoming stranded on state Route 38 near Jenks Lake, around the San Bernardino National Forest. This narrow, winding route weaves through tall trees and twists up the mountain, connecting eastern Los Angeles cities with Big Bear Lake, a popular resort town.
Kael Steel told KNBC-TV he was driving down the mountain from Big Bear to head to an amusement park when the rain started pounding.
“Suddenly we started seeing rocks and stuff coming down the side of the mountain,” he said.
Steel recounted how other drivers warned him of a blocked road. He turned back up the mountain but encountered another obstacle. After reversing again, he discovered that the road he had just passed seconds earlier had vanished.
“There’s no road there anymore,” he said.
The route was still closed as of Friday morning, the California Highway Patrol said.
Damage assessment teams are set to evaluate the hillside areas impacted by the mudslides. Officials have not yet confirmed the number of homes affected or the severity of the damage.
“The community obviously has been impacted fairly significantly,” Prater said. “How bad, we don’t know yet.”
Forest Falls, a tiny town just off Route 38, was walloped by mudslides three years ago.
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