Interstate 10 Bridge Washed Away as Historic Rain Event Unfolds in California; Homes, Roads Affected by Multiple Debris Flows

Carolyn Williams
Published: July 19,2015

Severe storms fueled by moisture from former Hurricane Dolores continued to barrage the Southwest Sunday, resulting in historically unprecedented July rainfall and leading to water rescues and mudslides in California.
A particularly dire situation is developing in the deserts east of Palm Springs, California, where the eastbound lanes of Interstate 10 were washed away by floodwaters near the town of Desert Center according to reports from the California Highway Patrol. At least one person has been transported to a Palm Springs hospital after being trapped in a vehicle during the incident. The westbound lanes have reportedly been undermined by the flooding, and traffic was at a standstill in the area.
"This is a fascinating situation on so many levels. Against a backdrop of climate change, with the global atmosphere setting heat records month after month, we have an El Nino warming the waters of the tropical eastern Pacific. On top of that, the waters off the U.S. West Coast are also far warmer than average, and we have a tropical storm moving farther north and closer to the Mexican coast than most others in the historical record this early in the season," said weather.com senior meteorologist Nick Wiltgen.
(FORECAST: Moisture Surge for Desert Southwest Thanks to Tropical Storm Dolores)
Homes in Ramona, California, sustained damage when debris flows invaded multiple garages and front yards, the National Weather Service said. Rocks blocked roads, as well.
A debris flow was reported in Orange County, Sunday night. Traffic was stalled both ways on Silverado Canyon Road due to the flow, the National Weather Service reported, citing local citizens. Shelters were established to aid those affected by the adverse conditions.
Wiltgen notes, "So all of this is dragging rich tropical moisture into southern California, where rain is usually very scant in July – and doing so in the midst of a historic drought, no less. It's almost surreal to watch it unfold if you know the back story."

California

All lanes of Interstate 15 were blocked near the Cajon Junction late Sunday afternoon when a mudflow slid across the highway, the National Weather Service reported, citing the California Highway Patrol. Late Friday, the area was impacted by a massive brush fire that burned near the interstate in Cajon Pass.
At least six homes in Moreno Valley, California, were flooded with mud and water late Sunday afternoon, ABC 7 Los Angeles reported. Authorities performed at least one water rescue.

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Jennifer Fuhrman of the Riverside County Fire Department told NBC Los Angeles the muck came from mountains that rise above the affected area. Several vehicles stalled in the flood waters.
The Colorado Rockies versus San Diego Padres baseball game at Petco Park was rained out Sunday evening and has been rescheduled for September 10. This is the first rainout at the park since April 4, 2006.

Nearly 16,000 Southern California Edison customers were left without power during Saturday's storms, although, not all outages were due to the adverse conditions, ABC7 Los Angeles said.
As storms pushed north, more than 10,000 PG&E customers were in the dark Sunday evening across central and northern California, according to the utility's website.
Elsewhere in the Southwest, lightning strikes forced the closure of Long Beach area beaches before 2 p.m., KABC-TV reported.
An Alaska Airlines flight bound for Virginia made an emergency landing at LAX Airport when the aircraft was struck by lightning, the Associated Press reported. None of the 159 passengers reported feeling anything, and maintenance crews are inspecting the craft.
One person was struck by lightning in California City, California, according to the National Weather Service. The extent of the person's injuries, if any, were not made clear in the report.
Lightning caused Los Angeles County lifeguards to usher beachgoers to safety Saturday afternoon. Adverse weather prompted authorities to close Santa Monica Pier and beach, as well, according to the Santa Monica Police Twitter feed.
"The storm was approaching quickly and was within ten miles of the coastline. Our policy is to get everyone out of the water. Every beach from LA to San Diego County closed as a result of the lightning threat," Marine Safety Captain Tom Trager of Laguna Beach, California, told the media.

The concerns follow a freak lightning strike last July, when one person died and 13 were injured on Venice Beach during a sudden isolated thunderstorm.
This time around, the rare July rains are proving much more widespread, helping crews battle wildfires but also leading to concerns about flooding and debris flows.
A rockslide struck a tour bus Saturday afternoon in San Bernardino County, California, disabling the vehicle, the National Weather Service said, citing the California Highway Patrol. No injuries were reported.
San Diego recorded 1.03 inches Saturday, breaking the city's rainfall record for the entire month of July – not just for a day in July, but the whole month's total. The previous record had been 0.92 inch for July 1-31, 1902. National Weather Service storm reports said a car was nearly submerged at the interchange of Interstate 8 and the 163 Freeway in the Mission Valley area of the city early Saturday afternoon.
Downtown Los Angeles experienced its wettest July on record, picking up 0.28 inches of rain in just a few hours Saturday. The previous record was 0.24 inches in 1886. Los Angeles International Airport tied its wettest July on record, originally set in 1992, picking up 0.32 inches of rain.
Rain was not as generous in Death Valley, where a dust storm was reported early Saturday afternoon. Visibility was briefly reduced to near zero, and NWS issued a dust storm warning for the afternoon hours.
On Friday, the eastern deserts of southern California were hit with severe weather. Needles clocked a 64-mph wind gust; those storms toppled a semi-truck on nearby Interstate 40.

Arizona

Authorities closed U.S. Route 60 in both directions Saturday night due to heavy flooding in Wickenburg, KSAZ-TV reported, citing the Arizona Department of Transportation. The highway has since reopened.

Severe storms left nearly 5,000 Arizona Public Service customers without power Saturday night, Arizona's ABC 15 reported.
Heavy rain caused debris and rocks to fall onto several roads in and around Kingman, Arizona, according to spotter reports relayed by the National Weather Service. The agency said some northwest Arizona locations reported 2 inches of rain in just one hour Saturday afternoon.
The weather service's Flagstaff office posted social media messages warning tourists to avoid exposed locations in the Grand Canyon due to lightning activity in the area.

Nevada

U.S. Highway 93 was reportedly underwater Saturday with rocks and debris near Caliente Summit in Lincoln County, north of Las Vegas, according to local law enforcement.
A 58-mph wind gust accompanied a severe thunderstorm at Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas at 1:23 p.m. local time.

Utah

An emergency call center reported damage to homes and roads due to flash flooding in Washington County, Utah, according to the National Weather Service.
MORE: Southwest Thunderstorms