Wrightwood begins cleanup after mudslide; thousands without power
Cleanup is underway after heavy rains slammed Wrightwood. Mudslides caused damage, and the storm also knocked out power for thousands of SoCal Edison customers.
All Evacuation Warnings in Wrightwood were lifted on Friday as the community begins to assess the damage from the Christmas Eve storm.
Video shows Oriole Road buried after a river of water sent mud, debris and charred wood down the mountain and into the homes below.
Several feet of mud buried cars and left streets coated in rain-soaked sludge.
The area was previously impacted by the Bridge Fire.
"With the area being softened, so to speak, by the burn scars from the fall of 2024, the area holds less water. So, the natural channels get overwhelmed," said Ryan Beckers with San Bernardino County Fire.
Meanwhile, nearly 3,000 Southern California Edison customers remain without power. With some areas still inaccessible, it could be some time before service is restored.
While Highway 2 and the 138 Freeway are open, some sections will need to be reinforced.
Power lines in several areas remain precariously supported by line trucks as repairs begin.
Local authorities are remaining on high alert as the rain continues to fall.
"So, we are in watch mode, and the other thing that we are doing is, we got some extra coverage here up here today. We got hand crews both here and in Lytle Creek, in case something does occur again," Beckers said.
In Lytle Creek, residents are also dealing with damage. More than 100 residents of the Happy Jack neighborhood are cut off from the rest of the community after their only access road washed away.
"It got so bad that with the rainfall and the rocks and debris. It completely washed away the bridge," resident Amber Guerrero said.
