Children at church camp among thousands stranded in California mudslides

Torrential rain and rapid mudslides shut down a Southern California town Sunday, stranding thousands of people and trapping 500 children and adults at a church camp.

“Most roads are impassible due to mudflows” in Forest Falls, said San Bernardino Fire Capt. Kyle Hauducoeur. Even a local fire station had to be evacuated.

Authorities have made contact with the Forest Home camp, where the 500 visitors were staying, and said everyone is safe — but the camp was still trapped behind mudflow late Sunday night.

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OkieGranny said:

http://fox17online.com/2014/08/04/c...g-thousands-stranded-in-california-mudslides/

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OkieGranny said:

http://fox17online.com/2014/08/04/c...g-thousands-stranded-in-california-mudslides/

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And 1,500 people in the nearby community of Glen Oak were stranded due to flash flooding, said Dennis Mathisen of Cal Fire.

The downpour combined with the terrain made conditions especially daunting. "Try to imagine the bands of rains from a hurricane -- that's what we're getting," Hauducoeur said. "The difference (is) it's hitting mountains. What was a dry riverbed could become a river 6 feet deep, 20 feet wide.

He said some roads are now covered with 6 to 8 feet of rock, and "we have a lot of mud to deal with."

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