Heavy rains in Southern California bring floods, mudslides, closures
Heavy rains in Southern California bring floods, mudslides, closures
By City News Service, AP and staff reports
POSTED: 08/03/14, 9:19 PM PDT
A thunderstorm that lasted only about an hour and dropped more than 4 inches of rain Sunday from Glendora to Oak Glen and Angeles Crest Highway near Wrightwood caused flash floods, mudslides, evacuations, washed away cars, created massive debris flows that choked roadways, stranded residents and campers and caused at least four people to be rescued from surging floodwaters, law and fire enforcement agencies said.
The storm’s fury did the most damage in the Mt. Baldy area and the community of Forest Falls in San Bernardino County.
In the Angeles National Forest, a rock slide covered all lanes of the Angeles Crest Highway at mile marker 66 near Little Jimmy Road west of Wrightwood around 4:15 p.m. and a smaller slide was reported a few minutes later on San Gabriel Canyon Road at Crystal Lake Road above Glendora, according to the California Highway Patrol.
A slide near the Mt. Baldy Fire Station, reported at 5:18 p.m., closed Mt. Baldy Road, the CHP reported.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning through 7 p.m. Sunday in the eastern San Gabriel Mountains.
Four to five people and dog became stranded by raging floodwater and were unable to reach their vehicle, Sgt. Rebecca Rodriguez of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s San Dimas Station said. They were airlifted to safety by a sheriff’s helicopter about 5:30 p.m., she said.
An overturned vehicle was found near the intersection of Bear Creek and Mt. Baldy roads, but no one was inside, Rodriguez said.
In San Bernardino County, flash flooding washed out parts of Forest’s Falls main road, causing evacuations, and one resident had to be saved by swift water rescuers, authorities said.
Nonresidents weren’t allowed to enter the single road into town from Highway 38, and officials advised residents to remain in their homes as firefighters performed rescues.
The San Bernardino County Fire Department gave a running play-by-play of the situation on Twitter:
• A creek that runs alongside the town’s main street, Valley of the Falls Drive, rose, washing out parts of the road and causing evacuations.
• Swift water rescue teams saved one resident and treated that person at the fire station in town.
• Firefighters also checked to see if any people were in cars that were washed down the canyon.
• And dozers were being positioned to help clear debris from roads.
One photo posted by the county Fire Department showed mud, rocks and parts of trees blocking a charter-style bus.
Elsewhere in the Inland Empire, the weather forced the postponement of two games at the Little League Western Regional Tournament in San Bernardino late Sunday afternoon after heavy rain, thunder and lightening occurred.
In Claremont, a thunderstorm developed over the city and anyone outside was advised to get indoors to get away from lightning, according to the National Weather Service. Local flooding should be expected, the weather service reported.
According to NWS, Claremont had 0.81 inches of rain from 5 p.m. Saturday night through 5 p.m. Sunday.
And in Redlands, the special performance of the musical “Hairspray” at the Redlands Bowl, which had been canceled Saturday night because of the weather, was canceled again Sunday.
The storm brought significant flooding to several locations in the Oak Glen area, according to Liz Brown of Cal Fire.
People were asked to avoid the area if you are not a resident.
Residents were told that no one can get into or out of the area until roads are cleared and they would be informed when access is restored.
Approximately 1,500 residents in Oak Glen were unable to leave Sunday evening but no injuries had been reported.
Oak Glen Road was blocked by debris in five locations:
• Oak Glen Dr. cross of upper Potato Canyon Drive
• Potato Canyon Road between Oak Glen Road. Upper and lower.
• Oak Glen Road just on West side of Pine Bench Road.
• Oak Glen Road between Pine Bench Road and Wildwood Canyon Drive
• Pine Bench road between Oak Glen Road and Oak Glen Camp.
Elsewhere, one lane of the 10 Freeway about 40 miles east of Indio washed away in heavy runoff from thunderstorms, according to CHP officers.
And the CHP was sending crews to a report of “hundreds” of cars stuck between flooded washes on Highway 62 near Joshua Tree National Monument, between Indio and Parker, Arizona. That report to 9-1-1 was not immediately verified by CHP officers, who were making their way there.
CHP officers at Desert Center, nearly halfway between Indio and Blythe, said traffic on the 10 Freeway heading toward Arizona was making its way around a washout in the left lane, and Caltrans crews had been dispatched to the scene.
Other roads southwest of Indio were covered with as much as six feet of mud and rocks, including Box Canyon Road east of Mecca, the CHP reported. By 4 p.m. the heavy downpour completely flooded Box Canyon Road in both directions, making driving hazardous, the CHP reported.
CHP officers gave a ride to four carloads of people who were forced to leave their cars at a high spot until county crews could clear a path through mud six feet deep.
In Corona, the California Highway Patrol reported all lanes had been reopened on the westbound 91 Freeway east of Serfas Club Drive after multiple crashes involving as many as 15 vehicles prompted a three-lane closure. The crashes and closures backed up westbound traffic to the 15 Freeway, according to the CHP.
One person was examined for injuries at the scene but declined to be taken to a hospital, a CHP dispatcher said.
http://www.sgvtribune.com/general-ne...lides-closures
