Yucaipa family's home damaged by severe mudslide during storm
Their home on Carter Street was filled with three feet of mud and rocks when a strong debris flow overtook their property.
YUCAIPA, Calif. (KABC) -- A Yucaipa family is still cleaning up after the powerful storm that moved through the Southland this week.
Their home on Carter Street was filled with three feet of mud and rocks when a strong debris flow overtook their property.
Despite the damage, the home's owner said he's happy no one was hurt. He said his wife was home at the time of the disaster at around 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
"She was on the phone with me, and she was thinking about evacuating," said Roberts. "It wasn't [raining] that hard and all of a sudden she could hear the rocks coming down, and she ran back in the house to get some keys to get out of here."
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Roberts said typically, when there's a big storm, the water flows down a wash alongside their property.
But after the El Dorado fire in September 2020, he said the scarred hillsides couldn't hold back a deluge of mud, boulders and other debris.
"She was real scared because of the size of the boulders and stuff coming down," he said.
Roberts said he's still waiting to hear back from the California FAIR Plan to determine what can be covered by insurance.
He estimates he's already spent thousands of dollars on cleanup costs.
READ ALSO | Debris flow rushes down Yucaipa streets as heavy rain pounds region
Not only is he thankful for all of the help he's received from friends, neighbors and other laborers, but Roberts said he's relieved because it could've been worse.
"No one lost their lives," he said. "It's nothing like (what happened) back in Kentucky. Our house is still standing and we're very fortunate for that."
