Updated 10:54 PM EST, Sun, Dec 22, 2024

California Mudslides 2014: Update, News and Map; One Dead, Thousands Stranded in Mudslides

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Cleanup crews in San Bernardino County have begun the long process of clearing roads that are full of mud and debris. Some areas of San Bernardino County saw four inches of rain over the weekend, which is more than they had received all year.

The California drought crisis left the areas unprepared to support so much water at one time, and the mud that's also pouring into the cities is causing issues as well.

More than 2,500 people were stranded due to the mudslides, and one person lost their life when their car was swept off the road and into a creek.

Crews have cleared the main roads that lead down from Oak Glen and Forrest Falls. Nearly 500 campers, who were a part of a church camping group, had to spend the night in a nearby community center until roads opened back up.

Over 1,500 people in Oak Glen were stranded, but now that road has been cleared they should be fine to relocate.

Coroners' office officials have released the name of the man killed during the mudslides.

Joo Hwan Lee, 48, was an El Segundo resident who was caught in the mudslides near Mt. Baldy. The rains had turned the usually docile creek into a swollen mess, and when Lee's car was pushed in, which was swept away quickly.   

Lee had been parked in Mount Baldy resident Angela Batistelli's driveway, trying to avoid the storm. The resident returned home from grocery shopping and asked Lee if he could move his car.

As the resident began bringing grocery bags to her front door, she saw Lee's white Prius surrounded by water as it plunged off the road. Batistelli's car, a Toyota Echo, was also swept away in the storm. 

Resident Michael Honer described the raging storm as he looked on from a friend's house.

"The stream was a raging black torrent of debris and big logs and muddy, silty water," said Honer. "It was apocalyptic. It sounded like a cross between a railroad train and a jet engine."

Six to eight homes were severely damaged during the storm, and officials say that they are "likely unlivable."

In the Angeles Forrest, a group of four or five hikers and a dog had to be airlifted to safety. The fire department and other aid organizations were stretched too thin to deal with all the chaos that the storm brought.

Some areas of San Bernardino County are still under flash flood warnings, even though it forecasted to be mostly sunny. 

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