Neighborhood Rescue Detailed, Mandatory Evacs: Storm Latest

UPDATE 9:45 P.M.: Mandatory evacuation orders for neighborhoods ringing Lake Elsinore and the Temescal Valley remained in place as of late Thursday evening, with rain expected to continue through the night.

Meanwhile, residents of a neighborhood just north of Lake Elsinore were stranded earlier Thursday when mud and water submerged their street, requiring firefighters to retrieve some of them using four-wheel-drive vehicles.

Riverside County Fire Department crews were called to Cobblestone Lane, between Brookstone Lane and Rockridge Road, shortly before 2 p.m. after people reported they were stuck in their homes, unable to leave the area because of storm runoff following heavy rains in the adjacent Cleveland National Forest. At one point, officials estimated 20 people were stranded.

"There was a significant amount of street flooding, a lot of runoff," fire Capt. Fernando Herrera told City News Service.

He said some of the residents were frightened by the deluge, which pushed mud and debris into their yards, and they called 911 seeking emergency assistance. Crews initiated retrievals between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m., using heavy-duty four-wheel-drive pickups.

"Those people who wanted to get out for whatever reason, we got them out," Herrera said. "Those who wanted to shelter in place, stayed."

He said Cobblestone was caked with "debris and mud," prompting county Department of Transportation crews to begin a cleanup to make the road passable again. No injuries were reported.

The extent of damage to the properties was not immediately known.

The area in which the flooding occurred was under a mandatory evacuation order issued just after 1 p.m. by the county Emergency Management Department. It was unclear whether the residents were aware of the evacuation alert, or chose to ignore it.

UPDATE 4 P.M.: As downpours hit the Southwest Riverside County area, officials have been responding to some rescues in the region and expanded mandatory evacuation orders.

Among those needing assistance was the manager of a Shell gas station at Bundy Canyon Road and Cherry Street in Wildomar. The manager reported standing water was all around his building. Riverside County Fire Department personnel were dispatched to help mitigate the flooding.

Riverside County Fire Department officials also say a total of 20 residents on Cobblestone Lane, between Rockridge Road and Brookstone Lane, are stranded due to flood waters in and around their properties. Firefighters are attempting to mount a rescue there and for several people who remain stranded nearby in a house at Brookestone and Toft Drive. None of the victims are in imminent danger, according to reports from the scene, but they are awaiting transportation to a safe location. Tractors may be sent in to pick them up.

As for evacuation orders, Alvarado A evacuation zone is now under mandatory evacuation order, in addition to all those areas listed below.

UPDATE 1:30 P.M.: Officials now say that evacuation orders are mandatory for neighborhoods ringing Lake Elsinore and the Temescal Valley in the following zones: Amorose, Alberhill, Glen Ivy A, Glen Ivy B, Glen Eden, Grace, Horsethief A, Laguna A, Matri, McVicker A, Rice, Withrow A.

The Riverside County Emergency Management Department said residents no longer "should go," but "must go" at this time.

Maps related to evacuation warnings have been updated since a similar storm event last week forced residents from their homes. You can find those here.

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — The second winter storm to roll across the region in a week brought periods of heavy rain Thursday morning and prompted the National Weather Service to issue a flood advisory for western Riverside County. Emergency officials are also encouraging those living near the burn scar of the Holy Fire to be prepared to leave.

Lake Elsinore Mayor Natasha Johnson said officials are most concerned for heavy rainfall and possible flooding between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. "with consistent rainfall and possible thunderstorms until about 10 p.m. tonight."

"This is a 'should-go' time," she said in a video message posted to Facebook. "This is not a mandatory evacuation."

The following areas are affected by Thursday's voluntary evacuation warning:

• Amorose
• Alberhill
• Glen Ivy A
• Glen Ivy B
• Glen Eden
• Grace
• Horsethief A
• Laguna A, Matri
• McVicker A
• Rice
• Withrow A

Maps related to evacuation warnings have been updated since a similar storm event last week forced residents from their homes. You can find those here.

"Thunderstorms are unpredictable and can occur without warning," the RivCo Ready website states. "Officials will provide warning if possible, but may only be able to alert the public with just a few minutes notice for future evacuations. It is critical that you remain vigilant and take personal responsibility for your surroundings."

About 9:30 a.m., the NWS issued a flood advisory for the metropolitan Riverside area that was slated to last until 12:30 p.m. Thursday and a flash flood watch through Thursday evening for parts of the Temescal Valley and Lake Elsinore which were scorched by the Holy Fire.

As of 11 a.m. no mandatory evacuations had been ordered for the Holy Fire burn area, but the Riverside County Emergency Management Department advised residents to arrange transportation, put fuel in cars, gather items to take and make plans for animals in preparation for potential evacuations.

"NWS radar indicated showers moving into Orange County and this activity will increase through noon. Showers will be heavy at times with rainfall rates of .15 to .25 per hour," NWS forecasters said in a statement.

"Showers will also move into the western Inland Empire. The rainfall will cause urban flooding in low lying areas, poor drainages and swift water through channels," forecasters said.

In a 24-hour period ending around 9 a.m., the metropolitan Riverside area received .20 of an inch of rainfall, the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning got .39 of an inch of rain, Corona received .29 of an inch of rain, .71 of an inch of rain fell near Silverado and Palm Springs received .19 of an inch of rain, according to the NWS.

NWS meteorologists say the storm will drop up to a half-inch of rain in the Riverside metropolitan area Thursday, up to four-tenths of an inch in the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning and around a quarter-inch in the Coachella Valley.

Lake Elsinore could see up to three-quarters of an inch of rain, and the county mountains are expected to get up to an inch of rain, according to the NWS.

Light snow could drop above 6,500 feet in the San Bernardino Mountains, meteorologists said.

Last week's winter weather, producing periodic heavy downpours, resulted in mandatory evacuations on Nov. 28 and 29 for residents in Glen Ivy Hot Springs, Horsethief Canyon, north Lake Elsinore and parts of the Temescal Valley south of Corona.

All the evacuated locations abut the Cleveland National Forest, where the 23,000-acre Holy Fire in August denuded hillsides, raising the potential for damaging flash floods, mud and debris flows.

Public safety officials told the Riverside County Board of Supervisors Tuesday that evacuations will be a re-occurring possibility for the duration of rainy season.

— City News Service contributed to this report / Image via Shutterstock