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Around 200 cars and trucks are stuck in mud as flash floods and mudslides triggered by a storm hit Southern California on Thursday.
On Highway 58, east of Tehachapi in Kern County, cars were stuck on the highway when mud as high as 20 feet overwhelmed the road. "I have never seen slides like this," Ray Pruitt, a spokesman for the Kern County Sheriff's Department, told the L.A. Times. Authorities say 115 cars and 75 trucks are trapped on Highway 58 between Mojave and Tehachapi, reports ABC 7.
A truck driver caught in the flooding on Highway 58 posted this terrifying video of his ordeal:
He, along with several other drivers stuck on the highway, were safely evacuated to shelters in Tehachapi and Mojave.
TRAFFIC UPDATE: Caltrans working to clear mud from SB I-5 to get some lanes open http://t.co/MCFDi31yzk @knxpete pic.twitter.com/ajk4e551A2
— CBS Los Angeles (@CBSLA) October 16, 2015
In Los Angeles County, the communities of Elizabeth Lake and Lake Hughes, both near Lancaster, were hit especially hard as mudslides flowed down hillsides like lava. The 5 freeway through the Grapevine will remain closed at least through the afternoon as crews work to clear the mud off the roadway.
The National Weather Service says there could be more on the way. A flash flood warning remains in effect on Friday in the Antelope Valley and the mountain areas of Los Angeles, Ventura, and Santa Barbara counties, reports CBS LA. Forecasters say rain could continue to fall through Saturday.
Look at this car that got engulfed in mud in Elizabeth Lake. pic.twitter.com/y4CxpJXsPB
— eric spillman (@ericspillman) October 16, 2015
Flood waters rose so quickly - many abandoned their cars. This is what they found today. More on @NBCNightlyNews pic.twitter.com/MzJnun5aVX
— Miguel Almaguer (@Miguelnbc) October 16, 2015
Neighbors along #elizabethlake Rd surrounded by deep mud after heavy #rains shelters set up @CBSLA pic.twitter.com/4ayjoSBjZl
— JASMINE VIEL (@jasmineviel) October 16, 2015