Storm-Enhanced Rains Flood Riverside County
RIVERSIDE (CBSLA.com) — It lasted less than an hour, but the heavy rain that pummeled Riverside on Sunday afternoon flooded local roads and freeways, and even took the roof off a house.
Lanes were closed by running water in the major interchange of the 91 and 60 freeways and Interstate 215. At one point, the California Highway Patrol said the slow lane of the 60 Freeway at Main Street in Riverside was under at least 2 feet of water with several vehicles stuck. A trained spotter from the National Weather Service reported several locations flooded along Iowa Avenue, near UC Riverside, Center Street and Marlborough Street. The spotter said a foot or more of water was running over gutters and curbs.
Firefighters were checking a house in the 1500 block of Eastwood Court, near Chicago Avenue and north of the 60 Freeway, that had lost its roof.
CBS2's Greg Mills surveyed the aftermath of Sunday's storms, where trees were snapped in half and power was out in the area of Central Avenue and Chapala Drive.
One of the trees that toppled nearly fell on Michele Navarro's house.
"All of a sudden it was just a huge thunderstorm, and it was pouring, hitting the windows," she said. "When the tree came down I couldn't hear it because the thunderstorm was so loud. It was pounding."
Navarro said she had no idea the tree had snapped when her husband called during the storm.
"I hang up with him, and I look outside and the tree here is uprooted," she said. "I called him back, and I said, 'I spoke too soon.'"
Low-lying streets and streams were flooded, with drains unable to handle the amount of water.
Before reaching Riverside, the storms also took a swing through Hemet. Madison Riley sent in video of the storm, which her father said dumped 2 inches of rain in 90 minutes.
The California Highway Patrol reported a washout at Cedar Avenue in Hemet, as well as a large boulder in the middle on Highway 243 in Idyllwild-Pine Cove, according to local storm reports collected by the weather service.
While it brought some flooding, many people were happy to see the rain.
"It was wonderful," said Malina Hernandez. "It was like wow, this is how it should be. Pouring, windy, raining. Just pouring down."
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