Southwest Riverside feels impact of latest storm: floods, winds, rockslides

A school bus carrying approximately 30 students from the Corona-Norco Unified School District ended up in a ditch during heavy rains Tuesday afternoon. The students were not injured and were transferred to another school bus. (Mike Norkin/SWRNN)

Southwest Riverside is getting hit hard by severe weather conditions.

The National Weather Service in San Diego issued a severe thunderstorm warning and flash flood watch until 8 p.m. today for Southwest Riverside County, weather service forecasters said in a phone interview.

Riverside County firefighters responded to a call of a school bus wedged in mud off of Temescal Canyon Road and Dawson Canyon Road north of Lake Elsinore. The bus was carrying about 30 students from the Corona-Norco Unified School District. Water levels from the road were able to reach the emergency back doors of the bus.

Witnesses said the bus driver apparently swerved to avoid debris in his path, causing the bus to veer into a gully. The bus tilted sharply to one side as it came to rest, but did not turn over.

The students were not injured and were transferred to another school bus.

About 6:20 p.m., Riverside County firefighters went to a house in Lakeland Village where heavy rain and run-off has caused flooding, Calfire is reporting. The fire crew is placing sandbags at 18479 Grand Ave. to redirect water flow.

A large sinkhole was reported at Maiden Lane and Cottrell Blvd in Lake Elsinore, according to the California Highway Patrol Web site. County road crews were sent out to repair the damage, CHP said.

California Highway Patrol also reported several accidents on Interstate-15 and I-215 in the Wildomar Murrieta area on its Web site.

The initial reports are that the vehicles have spun out on the wet roads blocking lanes. There was also a report of a pick-up truck that tipped over with water levels reaching its door at Highway 74 on Menifee Road in the Homeland area.

Rescue workers headed out to a report of a vehicle stuck in about four-to-five- feet of water, with six people trapped inside north of Lake Elsinore.

The incident was reported about 2:30 p.m.

Lake Elsinore spokesman Mark Dennis said the city’s public work crews are working to get knocked-down trees from Monday’s storm cleared

A truck drives through a flooded intersection in Lake Elsinore immediately following heavy rains Tuesday. A car carrying 6 passengers was stuck at this same intersection earlier in the afternoon and was pulled to safety by private citizens. (Mike Norkin/ SWRNN)

from area roadways, and are setting up road signs along deteriorated roads.

Hail was reported about 2 p.m. along the Ortega Highway west of Lake Elsinore, followed by heavy rains.

The city of Lake Elsinore’s Public Works still have sandbags available to those residents needing to build a sustaining wall to protect their homes from flooding.

Unfilled sandbags are available anytime at the City Yard, 521 North Langstaff in Lake Elsinore, as well as a stockpile of sand and gravel for those wishing to fill their own bags.

Dennis said about 100 sand bags will be available after hours, and some pre-filled bags will be for elderly residents only.

There have not been any injuries reported along Lake Elsinore roads.

Free sand is also available in Wildomar at Marna O’Brien Park, 20505 Palomar Street. Wildomar residents with flooding in their homes may pick up a limited number of sandbags from Fire Station #61 on Gruwell Street, between Palomar and Grand Ave.

Wildomar fire Capt. Ed Estacio said they have passed about 400 sandbags over the last few days and expect to pass pout more as the next storm approaches.

There are areas within in the city that traditionally flood, and there are more in the developing areas of the city.

Yazmin Alvarez can be reached at yazmin.alvarez@swrnn.com. You can follow her @SWRNNgov on Twitter!

SWRNN Editor Jose Arballo Jr. contributed to this report.

Tags: flood advisory, Lake Elsinore, Lake Elsinore Public Works, Lake Elsinore spokesman Mark Dennis, Marna O'Brien Park, Murrieta, National Weather Service, Southwest Riverside Weather, SWRNN, Temecula, wildomar, Wildomar fire Capt. Ed Estacio, Yazmin Alvarez

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