By Scott Limpus
February 14, 2019
The winter storm that hit on Valentine’s Day wreaked havoc all across the mountain. By 5:30 p.m. the bulk of the storm had passed and many of the National Weather Service Watches and Warning were set to expire. Rain and wind resulted in traffic accidents, swift water rescues, rock slides, flooding, fallen trees, power outages, and road closures. Emergency Responders were dispatched to dozens of calls, but fortunately there were no serious injuries reported.
4-10 inches of torrential rain soaked the mountain communities, and wind gust exceeding 35 MPH were reported. Rock slides and water flowing under the road has resulted in the closures of State Route 18 from Green Valley Lake Road to the Big Bear Dam, and State Route 38 from Valley of the Falls Drive to Hatchery Road. According to the California Highway Patrol, both highways will remain closed overnight and their status will be re-evaluated tomorrow.
Big Bear got the brunt of the storm, with heavy rains and high winds closing all of the ski resorts and prompting an early closure to the entire School District. With only State Route 18 open through Lucerne Valley, travel in and out of Bear Valley was challenging. Local agencies responded to dozens of calls for flooding, fallen trees, and power lines down.
In Green Valley Lake, water runoff on Falling Leaf Drive undermined the road, submerging three unoccupied cars. San Bernardino County Fire Brush Patrol 95 responded to the incident to ensure there were no victims. One firefighter mentioned that this storm was the worse he’s seen in 50 years of living in Green Valley Lake, where at least 8 inches of rain had fallen. One cabin on Juniper Lane was inundated with a 3 foot mud-flow. The building was not occupied.
In Arrowbear, Arrowbear Lake overflowed its banks resulting in the closure of Arrowbear Drive across the bridge. Local resident, Randy Stucker, stated that this is the worst flooding he has seen the lake go through since 2010. Further down the highway, commuters attempting to get to Big Bear were turned around at Green Valley Lake Road.
In Running Springs, Lake Arrowhead, Twin Peaks, and Crestline, flooding was reported in several structures. Clogged drains and water channeled by snow berms were partially to blame. Falling trees, as a result of the high winds, took out power lines and damaged several homes.
At some point during the day, all major roads in and out of the mountain had at least a temporary closure. Highway 330 was closed in both directions for about an hour due to several large rock slides. Old Waterman Canyon was also closed for a period due to the stream overflowing onto the roadway. Highway 138 was closed for about an hour when a large tree fell across all lanes below Lake Silverwood.
By nightfall, the call volume for First Responders tapered off, with most of the new incidents occurring in the desert. Colder temperatures are expected overnight and the morning commute is likely to be icy. Snow is forecasted tomorrow through Sunday, as well as next Wednesday and Thursday, as another series of colder storms enter the region.
