San Bernardino County mountain community faces massive clean-up after mudslide destroys homes

FOREST FALLS, Calif. (KABC) -- Residents in mountain communities in San Bernardino County are facing a massive clean-up after sudden heavy rains unleashed mudslides that plowed into homes and inundated roadways last week.

The communities most affected were Forest Falls, Oak Glen and Potato Canyon. Evacuation warnings for those areas have since been lifted.

Three homes were destroyed in Forest Falls, according to the San Bernardino County Fire Department's damage assessment team. Eight other homes were affected, with one of those suffering major damage.

Evacuation warnings are in place for the communities of Forest Falls, Angelus Oaks, Seven Oaks and the Oak Glen area from Pendleton Road east to Glen Road (north and south).

One home in Forest Falls had giant tree trunks flung in its yard and piled so high they reached the roof.

Forest Falls was walloped by mudslides three years ago. That was just two years after wildfires ripped through the area, leaving burn scars, or areas where there is little vegetation to hold the soil.

Intense rains pounded the area for more than an hour Thursday afternoon as remnants of Tropical Storm Mario reached the mountainous region, the National Weather Service said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.