Evacuations Ordered As Mudslides Bury Parts Of Silverado Canyon

SANTIAGO CANYON, CA — Four residents of Silverado Canyon were trapped in their homes by a mudslide, Wednesday according to reports. Orange County Fire Authority firefighters were called to the scene of the debris flow that started in the early morning hours in the Bond Fire burn area.

"Crews continue to move mud and debris from roadways," an OCFA spokesperson said. Meanwhile, that damaging mudslide led to evacuations and road closures for much of the unincorporated Silverado Canyon area Wednesday.

Mandatory evacuations were ordered for Silverado Canyon after 9 a.m. when roadways were determined "impassible," by officials. Modjeska and Williams Canyon residents were also upgraded to mandatory evacuations, Orange County Sheriff's Department reported Wednesday morning. An evacuation center was established at Modena High School, according to Orange County Sheriff's Department officials.

Road Closures:

One lane of Silverado Canyon Rd. between Kitterman and Rancho has been cleared by Orange County Fire Authority and Orange County Public Works, and reopened as of noon, they said.

"The unincorporated Orange County town of Silverado Canyon was buried in mud Wednesday morning after a night of drenching rains," Orange County Public Works communications officer Shannon Widor said.

It didn't take much for the Bond Fire burn scar hillsides to slump during this storm. Hillsides denuded from the December scorcher relaxed into thick mud after getting pounded with rainfall early Wednesday morning.

The National Weather Service reported rainfalls of .45 to .55 inches in three hours, from 4 a.m. to 7 a.m. according to spokesman Alexander Tardy.

"We saw similar mudflows in late January," he told Patch. More rain is expected throughout the day.

Some damage has been reported to private vehicles and homes where mud has flowed between buildings, according to Widor.

Clear the roadways for residents was expected to take "hours," and was not expected to be complete until at least 3 p.m., Widor told Patch.

Crews with bulldozers arrived at the area of Anderson Way in Silverado Canyon in Orange County following a mudslide that was reported about 7:10 a.m., according to the Orange County Fire Authority.

No injuries have been reported.

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