Woman and her dog missing after mudflows slam parts of San Bernardino County
As many as 200 people are missing after heavy rains in San Bernardino County over the past three days. San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Robyn Bonser said officials are working on the matter.
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY — It was a day late for Santa Barbara County residents who were expecting to receive some rain as the rain fell on Friday.
But for San Bernardino County residents, it never materialized.
Mudflows have caused massive flooding in the San Bernardino Mountains, forcing evacuations in some spots – including Big Bear, Lake Arrowhead, Lake Tehachapi and Lake Isabella.
The mudflows, from the swollen El Capitan and other streams, have forced hundreds of people outdoors, many in the middle of the night.
And while the rain was nowhere to be found, the mudflows were still a problem.
“It was just standing water. In some areas, it was standing water for days,” said San Bernardino County spokesman Rick Maurer.
The first mudflows swept through the San Bernardino area on Wednesday night. They created dangerous conditions for people in the mountains and led to thousands of people being forced to seek shelter.
The floodwaters were so deep in some spots that they swept away a man walking his dog, a local man who said his family lost cell service because they could not get a signal to call a repairman.
“There was basically a lake inside my house. It was a lake under my bedroom,” he said. “When it happened, I had to move my furniture and everything out.”
The rains did not stop, however, and the mudflows soon returned. And some residents said now they will endure more flooding.
“I am hoping we can get it over with, not because it’s a fun adventure to go through, but just because of the potential damage it will get to us,” said one man who has been forced to stay indoors in the San Bernardino Mountains because of the flooding.
The flooding has forced many residents to take shelter at the Red Cross shelter located near Big Bear.
“I’m not sure how I’m going to cope with this. I don