First responders in the Inland Empire have been hard at work Monday rescuing numerous people and dogs from flood swollen rivers, as well as monitoring unstable rain-soaked ground endangering residential properties and roadways.
At around 7:30 a.m., a resident in Colton heard a loud rumble and discovered that the ground had given way near their home, taking out part of the street with it.
“I’m really glad no one was standing here, or some car didn’t drive by,” Colton resident Jerome Allen told KTLA’s Kimberly Cheng. “I ain’t never seen anything like this around here.”
Jordan Allen, who lives at the same residence, told KTLA that authorities told him they should be prepared to evacuate if the unstable ground worsens.
In other parts of the I.E., rescuers with the Riverside Fire Department pulled four adults and a dog out of fast-moving waters in the Santa Ana River.
Video also captured swift water rescue crews in Riverside hoisting a woman trapped in the river bottom near the Van Buren Bridge.
Once she was safely lifted out of danger, first responders took her to a nearby hospital for evaluation.
Fire officials in Riverside said that between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., 10 people and 17 dogs were rescued in separate incidents. No major injuries were reported.
Overnight, crews with the San Bernardino County Fire Department rushed to Cajon Boulevard and Keenbrook Road in the Cajon Pass area after a vehicle was swept away when the driver attempted to cross a flooded road.
A teenager and two adults were hanging onto a tree, screaming for help when rescue teams arrived. The rescue operation, which was a challenge due to the racing waters, took approximately two hours.
All three victims were pulled to safety and taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
“I’ve been involved in all sorts of emergency responses over 20 years and effecting the rescue last night was probably one of the single most precarious positions I’ve found myself in and that this group found themselves in,” SBC Firefighter Christopher Prater told KTLA. “They had fast-moving water and had to make some quick-time decisions to save these people’s lives.”
Police in the I.E. also said that flooded streets have led to several accidents in the area and are advising people to be cautious on the wet roadways, avoid crossing moving water.