Cars stranded as mudslides shut roads in US city

Hundreds of vehicles have been left stranded after flash flooding triggered mudslides across two California highways. Floodwaters brought mud and rocks across the carriageway at Fort Tejon, 75 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

State Route 58 in Kern County was also closed near Mojave as a storm system brought downpours during the afternoon rush hour.

There were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries as a result of the flooding, and photos showed vehicles straggled across the freeway stuck in mud sometimes above their wheels.

Robert Rocha, a 37-year-old who lives in Lake Hughes, said: “I’ve never seen it rain that hard in such a short period of time, the hail and wind – it was coming down hard.

“The debris was just intense – chunks of wood and rock flowing everywhere.”

Los Angeles County Fire Department Captain Keith Mora said four people and two dogs were rescued from on top of one car.

Read also: 10 dead as Cannes gets 2 months’ rain in hours

Others were able to get to safety after waiting out the worst of the flash flooding on top of their vehicles.

“They were able to use their vehicles as a security blanket, to stand on top of and stay higher than the flood water,” he said.

The storm triggered flash flood warnings across southwest California. Up to 1.45 inches of rain fell in minutes at the worst hit areas.

Crews are expected to be clearing Interstate 5 on Friday, with up to 5ft of mud covering some lanes, according to California Department of Transportation (CDT) spokeswoman Lauren Wonder.

Thousands of cars and trucks were stuck in queues along the road, which runs the length of California.

Credit: Skynews

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