Devastating mudslides and flash flooding struck San Bernardino County on Thursday after thunderstorms fed by former Tropical Storm Mario dumped heavy rain across Southern California. The Oak Glen, Forest Falls, and Potato Canyon areas were particularly hard hit, with debris flows damaging homes and burying roads. Ten people were rescued after being trapped for 10 hours on Highway 38, while tragically, a 2-year-old boy died in separate flooding in Barstow.
Mudslides devastate mountain communities
Deep mudslides and flash flooding hit Southern California on Thursday after drenching thunderstorms fed by the moisture of former Eastern Pacific Tropical Storm Mario spread over the region, according to CNN. The Oak Glen, Forest Falls, and Potato Canyon areas of San Bernardino County were particularly hard hit. Mud and debris flows impacted multiple homes and covered roads across the area, about 80 miles east of Los Angeles, San Bernardino County Fire said.
Ten people traveling in at least six vehicles were rescued after being stuck for around 10 hours on Highway 38 as debris covered the road in both directions, the Associated Press reported. No one was injured, and the road remained closed as of Friday morning. No other motorists were known to be stranded as of late Friday morning, according to San Bernardino County Fire, but “assessment teams and field crews are continuing to search the area to ensure no other parties need assistance.”
Wildfire connection amplifies damage
Although the region saw only between one and two inches of rain total, the storm triggered mudslides on Highway 38 and closed over 30 miles of roadway, according to Caltrans, as reported by SFGate. The dangerous conditions stranded 10 people in their cars on Highway 38 near Jenks Lake and the San Bernardino National Forest. Cal Fire spokesperson Alison Hesterly told SFGATE the trapped drivers have been rescued.
Oak Glen and Forest Falls were the site of another mudslide that swept into homes and roads in September 2022. Cal Fire has said both mudslides are linked to the 2020 El Dorado wildfire burn scar, CNN affiliate ABC7 in Los Angeles reported. That fire was sparked by a pyrotechnic device at a gender reveal party. Rain tends to run off rapidly on fire-scarred land — especially in steep terrain — increasing flash flooding risks even when a storm’s rainfall isn’t extreme.
Tragic loss in Barstow flooding
Just north, in the city of Barstow, a 2-year-old boy was found dead after being separated from his father when their vehicle was swept away by floodwaters Thursday evening, the city of Barstow wrote in a Friday statement. The boy’s body was found at approximately 2:44 p.m. Friday in the San Bernardino County Flood Control channel, south of the Mojave River.
In Barstow, the search for a 2-year-old boy has ended. About 7 p.m. on Thursday, Barstow first responders received a call to rescue Brandon Padilla Aguilera and his son, Xavier, according to a Facebook post from the Barstow Police Department. Brandon was taken to Barstow Community Hospital, where he was released.
“It is with profound sadness that the City confirms the discovery of a young child who lost their life in the recent flooding incident on Main Street at Lenwood Road,” the city of Barstow said in a statement.
The San Bernardino County flooding and mudslides underscore the continued susceptibility of the terrain left by wildfires to huge weather events. Although success had been achieved in most cases of rescue operations currently carried out by the rescue forces, the loss of young Xavier highlights the lethal nature of flash floods. With the storm system increasing in intensity due to changing climatic patterns, the people in fire-prone regions need to be ready to face high risks of debris flows and floods in the post-wildfire period.