In San Bernardino mountains, residents hit by devastating mudslide fear more to come
by Amy B Wang
MAYWOOD – A mudslide has sent up a wall of rock and dirt, leaving cars and a home damaged at the base of San Bernardino Mountain, where mud, boulders and debris have engulfed homes, cars and businesses, trapping residents on the side of hills.
Residents, who remain scared out of their wits as more and more mudslides hit this wealthy community, said they have lost everything – including two dogs.
“I lost my dog, my dog,” said Lisa Klaire. “Then, when we got in, we found the house was gone. That was pretty hard for us. And, then, we went outside and the car was gone.”
The rain of mud and rocks began three days ago and has rained down and swept away homes, cars and even a mountain bike rack.
Mudslides like this one have hit the San Bernardino Mountains many times, but this seems to be the most devastating storm yet. The community has been evacuated multiple times over the past five days. The last time residents were evacuated was on Monday, just before a wall of mud and rocks was pushed up to the ridge of San Bernardino Mountain.
Klaire said the mudslide started overnight on Wednesday.
“When I woke up this morning, I was thinking a lot, because it’s been so windy. I was hearing the noise of the wind and the noise from the dirt when the rain comes down.”
Klaire, who worked as the assistant manager of the Mountain Sun, a local newspaper that covers the community and its events, said she felt the mountain shake as though it were a live animal.
“It almost felt like we’re in the movie ‘Jurassic Park,’” she said.
There were no landslides reported in the San Bernardino Mountains before this one, said Bill Bortolotti, a spokesman for Caltrans.
“This is the first time that there’s been any significant activity in the past few months,” he said. “The only previous slide had to do with heavy
