Structures Lost, Evacs Changed: Storm Latest For Elsinore

UPDATE 9 P.M.: As of 9 p.m. Thursday, all evacuation orders near the Holy Fire burn scar were downgraded from "mandatory" to "voluntary," the Riverside County Emergency Management Department said.

Voluntary evacuation warnings remain in effect for the following zones: Amorose, Alberhill, Alvarado-A, Alvarado-B, Alvarado-C, Glen Ivy-A, Glen Ivy-B, Glen Eden, Grace, Horsethief-A, Horsethief-B, Laguna-A, Laguna-B, Lakeside-A, Lakeside-B, Lakeside-C, Maitri, McVicker-A, McVicker-B, Rice and Withrow-A.

Be sure to keep checking www.RivCoReady.org/StormReady for the latest on evacuation orders. You can also call (951) 940-6985.

As for area road closures, city officials say local roads will be reopened as they are cleared "and confirmed to be safe."

"As more than 8" of rain pounded many of our surrounding canyons in only a few hours, we watched as water tore through neighborhoods, flood channels, back yards, and roadways carrying with it debris and mud," the city said of Thursday's storm. "It has been a very challenging day, but we are so grateful that the City suffered no major losses or damage."

During the peak of the storm, water raged through a flood-control channel, washing away a shed alongside a large home, with a woman who was trying to remove items from the structure narrowly escaping before it fell into the raging water, witnesses said.

The flowing water also threatened the integrity of the home, but it remained standing. A brick wall facing the flood channel behind the home next door was not as lucky. It tumbled into the flowing channel, and the roof of another building collapsed as the water raged.

"While we continue to assess the damage in our community, we do know that significant damage occurred Larson Road and unfortunately some structures were lost in the County areas of Alvarado," the city said.

Officials also said Lake Elsinore rose by another 1.5 feet thanks to the rainfall and more is expected to continue pouring in over the next few days from the San Jacinto Watershed.

— Patch file photo by Renee Schiavone / City News Service contributed to this report