Flood-prone canyons in Orange County hit with mud, debris flow after strong storm

Neighbors in Silverado Canyon jumped into action midday as rain poured down onto their flood-prone area.

"Actually, at my house, everything was fine until about 11:30," one resident recalled as he chuckled. 

After several instances where heavy rain led to mudslides and debris flows, homeowners in Silverado Canyon have developed a standard operating procedure of quickly clearing drains and culverts to protect their homes from the, now, predictable carnage. The flood-prone area has grown accustomed to these norms after the Bond Fire weakened the soil nearby. 

Rich Pfieffer, the block captain for Anderson Way, walked through his neighborhood inspecting a small creek, looking for any signs of any potential danger. 

"These large rocks in the creek were not there before the latest blast of rain," he said. "It's kind of normal, but what's concerning is if they clog up the culverts. Right now, the culverts are clear."

Two years ago, a strong storm swept away Pfieffer's and some of his neighbor's cars away. 

Deeper in the canyon, Orange County Public Works crews kept moving to trouble spots where debris moving down the mountain clogged storm channels. Heavy equipment operators scooped out mud and rocks to keep the water flowing, preventing any disastrous flooding. 

"We've got days of rain now," said OC Public Works spokesperson Shannon Widor. "We were in good condition earlier this morning. Our crews were out here every day. Everything is in good shape and held up well."

Widor added that the area got a major burst of rain at about midday.

"Now, we're seeing the effects," he said. 

All of the work seemingly paid off with no damage reported.