Highway 18 closed after rockslides, heavy rain pound parts of the Inland Empire

Rockslides, lightning strikes and flash floods made their mode implicit Inland Empire Thursday, Sept. 9, and led to the closure of Highway 18 successful the San Bernardino Mountains, arsenic monsoonal thunderstorms crawled crossed the region.

The astir important rainfall happened astatine higher elevations portion beardown upwind gusts — arsenic precocious arsenic 65 mph successful Calimesa — battered the much populated areas astatine little elevations, said James Brotherton, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service.

“A batch of times you’ll get dense rainfall successful the upland areas that volition propulsion immoderate beauteous dense winds down into the much populated areas,” Brotherton said.

Rain drenched the higher elevations, sitting implicit the portion and wreaking havoc connected upland roads. The strategy besides brought a flash flood informing and a terrible thunderstorm informing for areas of Redlands, Yucaipa and Beaumont, according to the National Weather Service’s San Diego office.

A flash flood informing was besides issued for the country of Running Springs, Green Valley Lake, Arrowbear Lake and Cedar Glen until 5:45 p.m., NWS said.

Redlands got immoderate rainfall Thursday afternoon, Sept. 9, arsenic seen from the grounds of First Presbyterian Church, looking toward the Redlands Police Annex. A tempest compartment moved done the portion and brought with it thunderstorms. (Photo by Betty Tyler/Staff)

More than an inch of rainfall — 1.06 inches — fell astatine Vista Grande Thursday successful the San Jacinto Mountains of Riverside County,  Brotherton said. In Poppet Flats, adjacent Idyllwild, .38 inches of rainfall was recorded.

Pea-sized hail was besides reported successful Yucaipa arsenic good successful the afternoon, said NWS meteorologist Stephanie Sullivan.

In the San Bernardino National Forest, thunderstorm cells sat implicit the portion starting astir 11 a.m. done astir of the afternoon, Sullivan said. The stagnant tempest strategy prompted rockslides and mudflows on Highway 18 betwixt Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead, Sullivan said.

Highway 18 was closed betwixt Big Bear Dam and Snow Valley, according to Caltrans. The roadworthy is closed until further notice. All lanes are blocked by stone autumn betwixt Snow Valley and North Shore Drive, Caltrans said.

Lightning strikes were recorded done the San Bernardino National Forest, Sullivan said.

Reconnaissance flights successful the day were not showing immoderate fires started from the strikes, said Zachary Behrens, spokesperson for the National Forest.

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“We’ll apt proceed to bash much flights (Friday, Sept. 10) with much storms forecasted and to cheque for immoderate lightning strikes that caused fires, but are not showing immoderate fume yet,” helium said.

Thursday’s storms were expected to taper disconnected by 8 p.m., Sullivan said.

On Friday, tempest conditions with “a small little activity” are expected for the upland regions arsenic good arsenic the deserts, Sullivan said.