A Jeep packed with passengers survived being swept hundreds of feet down a mountain riverbed when a sudden storm turned a Southern California wash into a raging torrent on Thursday.
The vehicle, a Jeep Wrangler, was carried away by a mudslide in Forest Falls, a community in the San Bernardino County mountains, around 4:30 p.m. As powerful thunderstorms drenched the region. Firefighters rushed to the scene after the mudslide sent the Wrangler plunging down the riverbed with people still inside, according to video news service OnScene.TV.
Dramatic footage from the aftermath showed the mud-covered Jeep stranded among massive boulders along the riverbed. California Highway Patrol officers joined the rescue effort and helped extract the occupants. Miraculously, no injuries were reported.
The Jeep’s plunge was part of a broader pattern of weather mayhem across the San Bernardino County mountains fueled by monsoonal moisture. Intense thunderstorms dumped torrential rain and hail across the region, triggering flash flood warnings and creating treacherous conditions for motorists.
In Big Bear, drivers were hammered by heavy rain and hail as the storm rolled through. Mud, rocks and other debris spilled across portions of Highway 18, forcing crews to bring in bulldozers to clear the roadway. Multiple lightning strikes were caught on video as the thunderstorms lit up the skies.
Elsewhere, heavy downpours triggered mud and debris flows around Oak Glen and Potato Canyon roads in Yucaipa, prompting road closures, according to Cal Fire San Bernardino. Oak Glen Steak House, located nearby, posted dramatic video showing a torrent of muddy water and debris rushing through the area. The restaurant temporarily closed because of the severe thunderstorms and urged people to stay away.
Mountain communities face an especially serious threat from sudden downpours, particularly around wildfire burn scars, where destroyed vegetation can leave hillsides vulnerable to flash floods and debris flows.
Thursday’s violent weather arrives as Southern California communities prepare for the possibility of powerful storms during the approaching El Niño season. First responders are urging residents in flood-prone and burn-scar areas to prepare early for severe weather.