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More Rain May Be On The Way As Hundred Of Vehicles Stranded On Highway By California Mudslide

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After a slow-moving storm dumped heavy rains and hail on California, hundreds of drivers were stranded in flash flood waters and mudslides in California — and more rain is on the way.

75 Trucks Stranded On SR 58

Almost 200 vehicles, 75 of them 18-wheelers, were stranded on State Road 58 in Tehachapi, California after flash floods left as much as 20 feet of mud on some parts of the road. The vehicles have been stuck in the mud since about 6 p.m. yesterday. Most drivers were taken to shelters, but some chose to spend the night in their stuck vehicles. No injuries have been reported yet.

Authorities say that SR 58 will be closed indefinitely as crews work to clean up.

Mudslides Shut Down Grapevine

Mudslides also forced hundreds of drivers to flee their vehicles on I-5 through the Grapevine. The slides also caused car-sized boulders to rain down on the road, terrifying drivers who already had limited visibility because of the weather. Some motorists who were unable to escape the mud were forced to stand on the roof of their vehicle to wait for rescue.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department rescued 14 people and 8 animals from the mudslide.

Authorities say that all lanes of I-5 may reopen as early as this afternoon.

More Rain and Wildfires Expected

Rain and thunderstorms are expected to continue through Saturday, which authorities fear may trigger more mudslides and flooding. However, by Tuesday and Wednesday, warming temperatures could cause Santa Ana winds to develop — leading to dangerous fire conditions.

You can take a look at a trucker’s view of the mudslide damage on the Grapevine in the video below.

[su_youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML1hoOofXdM” width=”700″ height=”500″]

Source:
ABC 30
USA Today
LA Times
Weather.com
KCRA
Travel Freak

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