Weather 
YUCAIPA, Calif. () — The incoming El Niño season is top of mind for many people, especially in Southern California’s burn scar areas, and some mountain communities got a taste of what things could look like when a storm rolled through Thursday.
Thunderstorms brought downpours to areas of San Bernardino County, creating mud and debris flows in the area of Oak Glen and Potato Canyon roads that triggered road closures.
Oak Glen Steak House posted a video to social media that showed a rushing mudslide passing through. The restaurant had to shut its doors due to the severe thunderstorms, asking people to stay clear of the area.
“I left maybe five minutes before this wash got washed out… it does look pretty bad,” said Ivan Fuentes, who also took video of the mudslide right before neighbors urged him to evacuate.
“The neighbor walked down here and he’s like hey if you’re trying to drive home you better get out of here now.”
Up in Big Bear, monsoonal moisture brought heavy lightning, hail and rain. Over in Forest Falls, a Jeep was left stuck in mud and debris on the side of a road.
Heavy rain in those mountain communities is always a safety concern, and as the region as a whole gears up for El Niño, first responders say it’s a good reminder for everyone to start preparing early for potentially severe winter storms.
“Given that we’re expecting the El Niño to be a lot stronger this year, what we’re requesting is for our residents, people that are our coming as tourists, to make sure they are heeding any warnings,” said Chloe Castillo, public information officer with Cal Fire.
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