Local News

Dozens of homes, buildings damaged or destroyed by mudslides in Forest Falls, Oak Glen

By Darleene Powells

Updated on: September 16, 2022 / 11:43 AM PDT / KCAL News

CBS News Los Angeles: The Rundown (Sept. 16 AM Edition)

Flash floods and mudflows destroyed and damaged dozens of homes and buildings in the San Bernardino County communities of Forest Falls, Yucaipa and Oak Glen, authorities said.

FOREST FALLS, CA -SEPTEMBER 13, 2022: Search and rescue teams remove a childs bike from a destroyed garage while sifting through mud and debris for the body of an elderly woman off Prospect Drive on September 13, 2022 in Forest Falls, California. According to neighbors, two adults and two children escaped the home, but the mother-in-law and the family dog are missing. Mondays heavy rain sent a torrent of mud and debris down the San Bernardino Mountains destroying homes and cars along its path.(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) Gina Ferazzi

Heavy rain in the San Bernardino County mountains last weekend caused widespread damage in communities near recent burn scars, according to San Bernardino County Fire. The department's Office of the Fire Marshal mobilized a 15-person Damage Assessment Team to get a complete picture of the devastation.

Forest Falls, CA - September 13: A large boulder washed down by a heavy thunderstorm sits next to a home on Prospect Drive in Forest Falls on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022 after heavy mud flows hit the area Monday afternoon. There are unconfirmed reports that one resident is missing from one of the at least 4 homes damaged. Will Lester/MediaNews Group/Inland Valley Daily Bulletin via Getty Images

The team completed its assessment, and the numbers were grim:

Forest Falls:

6 Single family residences destroyed
1 Single family residence deck/parking area destroyed

Oak Glen:

2 Single family residence destroyed
8 Single family residences sustained moderate/minor damage
1 Commercial building destroyed
1 Commercial building sustained moderate damaged
6 Outbuildings destroyed
14 Outbuildings sustained moderate/minor damage

Forest Falls, CA - September 13: A home sits damaged on Prospect Drive in Forest Falls on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022 after heavy mud flows hit the area Monday afternoon following a large thunderstorm which hit the area. There are unconfirmed reports that one resident is missing from one of the at least 4 homes damaged. Will Lester/MediaNews Group/Inland Valley Daily Bulletin via Getty Images

A Local Assistance Center has been opened at the Yucaipa Community Center, 34900 Oak Glen Road in Yucaipa, to help residents who were impacted by the flooding in Oak Glen, Forest Falls, and Crestline. The center will be open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sept. 21.

Forest Falls, CA - September 13: Large boulders washed down by a heavy thunderstorm sit near a destroyed home on Prospect Drive in Forest Falls on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022 after heavy mud flows hit the area Monday afternoon. There are unconfirmed reports that one resident is missing from one of the at least 4 homes damaged. Will Lester/MediaNews Group/Inland Valley Daily Bulletin via Getty Images

And while most evacuation orders in the area have been lifted, crews continue to search for a woman who has been missing since the mudslides hit the Forest Falls area. She had been last seen on the first floor of her Prospect Drive home, which was inundated with mud over the weekend.