Crews begin cleanup in wake of mudslides and flooding in Oak Glen
After a series of mudslides and floods impacted their neighborhood over the weekend, cleanup crews and community members have joined forces to clear the muddy mess left behind after heavy rain hit the area.
The mud quickly traveled after the rain hit, as the earth covering the El Dorado Fire burn scar gave way gave way when the rain hit, all thanks to Tropical Storm Kay.
Even though crews began cleanup as soon as possible, much of the mess remained Tuesday as crews worked to clear the mud and debris left inside homes and businesses impacted by the flooding.
On Monday they worked to clear the mud covering Highway 38, using bulldozers and other heavy equipment in an attempt to curb the consistent flow of mud covering the road. As a result, many Yucaipa residents were forced to evacuate as the situation continued to worsen.
Those evacuation orders have since been listed, but the damage remains as people begin to return home in the wake of the mudflow, thankful they all made it out without falling in harm's way.
CBS reporters on the scene Tuesday watched as local firefighters hacked up a slew of massive trees that had burst through the wall of the Oak Glen Steakhouse Saloon's dining room. They shoveled mud into wheelbarrows and used forklifts to drag the trunks out of the building, which had sustained considerable damage Monday afternoon when a "tidal wave of mud" hit.
"The dining room, the kitchen area... it tore up the entire place pretty bad," said Christina Hendricks, who joined in the cleanup effort Tuesday morning.
Chuck All Gaier, who lives in the Potato Canyon area and was forced to evacuate, detailed how two of his neighbors houses were also damaged during the event, and his next door neighbor's house was filled with three-to-four feet of mud.
Footage from the area showed several wooden telephone poles cracked under the pressure of the mud, as around 120 firefighters and San Bernardino County Search and Rescue crews continued to scour the scene at Forest Falls, searching for any possible survivors or victims in the damaged houses.
As they searched the area, firefighters made sure to remind locals that instances like this are a stark reminder of heeding their evacuation warnings and orders.
State Route 18 was also closed overnight due to heavy mudflow which blocked the road from traffice.
