Ahead Of Rain, Beaumont Plans For Unprecedented Flooding

BEAUMONT, CA — It won't take much, and the Pass Area as we know it may look dramatically different come wet weather this fall and winter. That's according to public safety officials from various Riverside County agencies who are working to get the word out about the danger of "flood after fire."

Residents of Beaumont, Banning and Cherry Valley are all being encouraged to plan ahead for the scary scenarios of damaging storms that can send massive amounts of debris down the charred hillsides affected by the El Dorado and Apple fires.

Those who live north of Interstate 10 will likely see branches, rocks, mud and more come cascading into their neighborhoods with as little of a half inch of rain an hour.

The Riverside County Emergency Management Department says some of the post fire effects could include:

• Rainfall runoff that's two to five times higher than normal-- especially in small storms
• Significant load of burnt vegetation, ash, rock and mud flowing out of the canyons during intense storms
• Ash and burnt smell from the first storms of the year
• Slopes will be subject to erosion and failure
• Rockfall from steep slopes
• Extended road closures
• Loss of power

Though the region frequently sees flooded roadways in winter weather, the worry for flooding is intensified this year with such fresh and significant burn scars so close. The charred ground makes it more difficult for the soil to absorb water; instead, most of it flows downhill into lower-lying neighborhoods-- bringing damaging debris along the way.

The Apple Fire — which started on July 31 — burned some 33,424 acres, while the El Dorado Fire — sparked Sept. 5 — burned 22,744 acres. Together, the two major fires burned many of the hillsides from Yucaipa to Banning.

Though no rain is in the immediate forecast, the city of Beaumont and Beaumont police are taking extra caution to alert residents of the dangers ahead of time.

What's more, crews have been hard at work in recent weeks, installing k-rails throughout the Pass Area along roadways that are expected to experience significant flooding. Residents will also notice sandbags are already in place and green hesco flood barriers are being set up strategically around town to help direct the flow of water away from important infrastructure.

Areas like Noble Creek have been substantially widened in anticipation of the heavy runoff.

While county crews continue to beef up mitigation efforts around town, local officials are also hosting a series of public meetings to raise awareness of the coming risks.

The first such meetings will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 27 at the Beaumont Civic Center. There is one slated for 2 p.m. and another for 6:30 p.m. Both are expected to cover the same topics and are hosted by the city of Beaumont, the Beaumont Police Department and the Riverside County Emergency Management Department.

"The informational meeting is the first in a series of events aimed at educating residents on the risks associated with flooding," the city said in a news release. "Beaumont and EMD staff will discuss areas of concern, evacuation maps, preventative measures, and emergency alerts."

Attendees will need to wear a mask and temperature checks will be taken at the door. The meetings will also be streamed online.

You can watch the video below for even more on the anticipated dangers: