Thousands Stranded, One Dead in California Mudslides
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Credit: Cory Kay(FOREST FALLS, Calif.) — About 2,500 people were stranded after thunderstorms caused mountain mudslides in Southern California, while one person was found dead in a flooded creek Sunday, authorities said.
The mudslides swallowed cars, campers and vans. The debris flow engulfed one home. Emergency crews rescued the home’s resident.
One person was killed after swift-moving floods swept their car away, authorities said.
After arriving at a Forest Falls campground Sunday morning, 500 children and adults were left stranded.
The storm moved in quickly, snapping trees and sending a torrent of water rushing through the region. In Forest Falls, a wall of mud as high as 15 feet and up to 75 feet wide was reported.
In Mount Baldy, rescuers broke the windows of a car trapped underwater, making sure no one was inside. The vehicle was empty, a small shred of hope amid the devastation witnessed by residents such as Michael Scully.
Authorities made reverse 911 calls to urge residents to stay put while crews clear the roads with bulldozers.
All the water was desperately needed elsewhere in the state. In northern and central California, firefighters battled more than a dozen fires. Crews created a six-mile fire line to protect the town of Burney.
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