Trapped Silverado Residents Rescued By Orange County Firefighters

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA — The Orange County Fire Authority was busy at work Tuesday while a powerful winter storm swept through the region, triggering canyon evacuation orders and flash flood advisories across Orange County.

Now, firefighters are working to rescue canyon residents trapped inside of their homes amid the unsafe weather conditions. There are no reported injuries at this time, the Orange County Fire Authority says.

Canyon residents who are not experiencing an emergency but have questions related to evacuations are encouraged by the Orange County Sheriff's Department to call the Emergency Operations Center Hotline, (714)-628-7085. In the event of an emergency, Dial 911.

This news comes shortly after a mandatory evacuation order was issued for Orange County residents living in Silverado, Modjeska and Williams canyons. The affected areas are all located in the Bond Fire burn area are vulnerable to flash floods and mudslides along or near the burn scar, the Orange County Sheriff's Department reported.

A flash flood warning was issued by the National Weather Service for the listed canyon communities on Monday, and the warning expired at 12:30 p.m.

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The NWS reported more than a half-dozen debris flows in the Bond Fire burn area. Santiago Creek and Jackson Creek roads were both reported to be blocked by water, mud and debris.

"The flash flood warning expired at 12:30 p.m., but we're maintaining the mandatory evacuation order there because a few roads in the canyon are impassible,'' Orange County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Carrie Braun told City News Service. "Public Works and the [Orange County Fire Authority] are working together to clear debris from those roads.''

County officials are maintaining "hard road closures'' for thoroughfares into the canyons, Braun said. Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner implored residents to evacuate, City News Service reported.

"The weather outside is frightful,'' Wagner said. "The time now is to evacuate. Be safe out there and let's take this seriously, this weather event. This is a nasty storm. Be careful out there. It is time to take precautions to protect yourself and your families.''

Orange County canyon residents with disabilities or other functional needs who need help evacuating are asked to call the OCSD's dispatch at 714-647-7000.

Storm related issues can be reported to Orange County Public Works at 714-955-0200 during business hours or 714-955-0333.

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Those who need assistance with pets and large animal evacuation can call the county's animal care line at 714-935-0333.

A Care and Reception Center opens after 4 p.m. at the Lake Forest Sports Park, located at 2800 Rancho Parkway, Lake Forest. Meeting Room A will be available for residents to wait out the storm, and county reception center staff will be onsite to offer help, authorities said.

The flooding comes as California takes the brunt of an atmospheric river storm system that's swept the state this week.

The multiday storm was also forecast dump more than 8 feet of snow on the highest peaks in California.

Atmospheric rivers are "relatively long, narrow regions in the atmosphere — like rivers in the sky," according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. A bomb cyclone occurs when a storm undergoes bombogenesis, meaning it rapidly intensifies over a 24-hour period, according to NOAA.

City News Service contributed to this report.