Mudslides, pouring rain plague Inland Empire; evacuation orders in Yucaipa
Pouring rain, flash flood warnings and mudslides took many Inland Empire residents by surprise especially after Tropical Storm Kay passed through the area.
"I didn't even know we were having a storm until I got the Flash Flood Warning," said Highland resident Alex Hernandez.
Flash flood warnings went out to Highland and all over San Bernardino County after heavy rain battered the area overnight.
"It was pretty bad for about 15 minutes," said Hernandez.
A tidal wave of mudflow was caught on camera surging by a steakhouse in Oak Glen, near the 2020 Apple and El Dorado Fire burn scars.
Bulldozers quickly worked to clear debris from the roads in Oak Glen but the mudflow continued to rage, forcing a portion of Highway 38 near Forest Falls to close.
Due to potential mud and debris flow, the Yucaipa Police Department issued an evacuation order for many people in Oak Glen a little after 9 p.m.
Residents in these parts of Oak Glen are subject to the order:
- North and South Oak Glen Road
- Casa Blanca Road to the County Line
- South from Wild Lilac Point to Wild Wood Canyon Road
Residents in Forest Falls are also under a Shelter in Place order until further notice.
There is a potential for mud and debris flow from a storm. The communities of Oak Glen, Oak Glen Road, north & south, from Casa Blanca Road to the County Line, south from Wild Lilac Point down to WildWood Canyon Road, are subject to an evacuation ORDER. pic.twitter.com/jqZvGWFIuc
— Yucaipa Police (@YucaipaPD) September 13, 2022
An evacuation center was also set up at REV high on 31000 E. Colton Avenue in Redlands.
Other parts of the Inland Empire, especially in Riverside County, were hit hard by the inclement weather, with debris washing over Estelle Mountain Road during the flash flooding.