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The area was ankle-deep in muddy water after rain dumped over the region Thursday night. Now, the city is starting the Labor Day weekend doing some serious labor. Residents are mopping up, wringing out and drying up the mess.
Roads throughout Moreno Valley were heavily impacted by flooding. Streets near Cactus Avenue and Hazeltine Way by the Moreno Valley Ranch Golf Club were filled with mud and water, and some traffic signals were out near Oliver Street. A police cruiser had to be towed off road after encountering issues in the flood, and residential streets in nearby neighborhoods were also affected.
Resident Sue Houk found a female German Shepherd caught up in a stream of mud, flowing down the street.
"She came like running, floating by and my husband grabbed her. We scooped her up and we brought her so she's looking for her parents. Come get her," Houk said. She said she trying to unite the dog with its owner and is asking them to call her at (951) 616-9761.
Oro Grande Elementary School was flooded by a heavy downpour that hit just before school let out. Hallways and lunch areas were also a muddy mess, but school is expected to be ready for classes on Friday.
Resident Jim Painter came out of his home just in time to see the river crest over his driveway and spill into his garage.
"We kind of had to stand by and watch it happen. It was overwhelming. There wasn't much we could do," Painter said.
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Resident did their best to mop up the mess Thursday, but the damage is extensive and residents will likely spend most of Friday and the weekend dealing with the aftermath. Roads and sidewalks were still caked with several inches of semi-dried mud by Friday morning.
"The rain came down and flooded my boy's room, so from everything from beds to couches, blankets, everything, clothes. Everything was just soaking wet," said Moreno Valley resident Regina Hoskins.
In Cathedral City, streets turned into roaring rapids. Cars were stuck in mud and water as the sludge poured into homes, backyards and pools.
The clean up seems daunting with piles and piles of mud blocking streets. Residents weren't prepared for this mid-summer storm and some say they won't be caught off guard again.
"I went out and got a bunch of bags and a bunch of sand, and making sand bags so if we get any additional rain today, we can get it all sand bagged up so it doesn't happen again," said Painter.
See photos of the wild weather across Southern California on Thursday, Aug. 30, 2012.
