Flash floods impacted the San Bernardino County area as rain poured down Thursday, Sept. 18, with some mudslides reported in some areas.
Intense rain and thunderstorms began around 2:30 p.m. in Big Bear, and some areas measured more than an inch of rain in just a few hours, with some areas seeing 1.42 inches, said meteorologist Philip Gonsalves with the National Weather Service in San Diego. Rain gauges in Mill Creek measured more than an inch of rain in an hour, “a very intense rainfall rate,” he said.
A National Weather Service flash flood warning was in effect for San Bernardino County until 8 p.m. The weather service has received information about potential mud and rock slides as a result of the intense storms, but road crews haven’t yet confirmed those reports, Gonsalves said.
Debris flow in the Oak Glen and Thurman Flats area stranded some community members, said Mara Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. No injuries have been reported, but fire crews and sheriff’s deputies rescued the impacted community members.
Meteorologists expect rain to continue for several hours and taper off overnight. Drivers in impacted should stay off the roads and stay aware of weather and potential road closures if they need to go out, Gonsalves said.
