Southern California mountain communities concerned about mudslides as rainstorm arrives

Southern California mountain communities are preparing for land and mudslide dangers as a winter storm arrives this week.

Recent burn scar areas pose heightened threats, like the nearly 44,000 acres of scorched land from the Line Fire in San Bernardino County that ignited in September 2024.

In the aftermath, miles of rolling hills remain desolate. Without any trees or roots holding the soil together, residents and officials are on alert for landslide dangers.

“Before the fires, this mountain was gorgeous, it was all green,” said Eili Ghanem, a Highland resident. “We used to see deer and rabbits running around all the time. Not anymore. Now it looks miserable.”

Ghanem’s home is located directly across from the burn scar. Although his property is less threatened because it’s perched on a downward slope, he’s still worried about the incoming rain storm.

“We’re a bit concerned,” he told KTLA's Shelby Nelson. “We’ll probably leave the neighborhood for a few days.”

According to the National Weather Service, the first storm is expected to arrive Tuesday night and the second storm on Thursday, but forecasters don’t believe rain levels will be substantial enough in the Inland Empire to set off major mud or debris flows.

Locals are prepping their homes just in case, but many say they’re thankful for any rain as the Southland is experiencing a historically dry year.

“[Mudslides] can cause some problems, sure, because the vegetation is burnt to a crisp, so it can’t hold anything,” said Norm Vargas, a Highland resident. “But it’s been so dry, so this rain that we’re going to get right now, I’m not really worried about it.”

Caltrans maintenance crews will be working around the clock to prep the roads and monitor danger zones ahead of the changing weather. 

For the past several months, extensive work has been done to reinforce the mountainous San Bernardino County roads that State Route 330 runs through.

“We had to replace all the damaged guardrail, signage delineation, replace asphalts,” explained Eric Dionne, a spokesperson for Caltrans District 8. “We’re replacing culverts. We’re rehabilitating and adding new installations.”

Dionne said there hasn’t been enough rainfall to assess how some of the land will respond with the safeguards they’ve put in place, but crews will continue closely monitoring the area.

The National Weather Service anticipates between a quarter of an inch to an inch of rain from Thursday night into Friday, with mountain and foothill areas possibly receiving 2 inches.

Local residents can pick up free sandbags by visiting any San Bernardino County fire station.