Heavy rain triggered a mudslide in an Inland Empire burn scar on Thursday, according to forecasters. The slide closed several mountain roads.
The area above Oak Glen in San Bernardino County saw about 2 inches of rainfall, according to radar estimates, said Stephanie Sullivan, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Diego. The region burned in a 2020 wildfire and areas downhill of the burn areas are prone to debris flows, Sullivan said.
The slide occurred amid a flash flood warning that was in place Thursday until 6:30 p.m. for San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
The rain is from a monsoon pattern, Sullivan said, and is not related to Hurricanes Polo and Odalys.
The hurricanes are not expected to hit California but could send swells toward the California coast as early as Sunday, forecasters have told The Times.
After Thursday’s debris flow, Valley of the Falls Drive at Momyer Creek Trail was closed. Oak Glen Road and Potato Canyon Road were also closed, and residents should avoid the area, authorities said.
The Yucaipa Police Department, which announced the road closures in a social media post around 6 p.m., said the roads were closed for an “unknown amount of time.”
Gloria Orejel, a spokesperson for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, said in an email there was no threat to homes or residents.
Earlier Tuesday afternoon, the weather service said thunderstorms were already dumping heavy rain across the region, with more rain on the horizon.
There could be “life threatening flash flooding of creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses,” the agency said in the warning.
The agency told drivers: “Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads,” as most flood deaths occur in vehicles.
“In hilly terrain there are hundreds of low water crossings which are potentially dangerous in heavy rain,” the agency said. “Do not attempt to cross flooded roads. Find an alternate route.”
