A woman who was reported missing after destructive mudslides in Southern California has been found dead, authorities said Friday.
A significant rainstorm on Monday led to torrential mud and debris flows in the mountain communities of Forest Falls and Oak Glen in San Bernardino County.
Electric poles are seen half-fallen in the aftermath of a mudslide, Sept. 13, 2022, in Oak Glen, Calif.
Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP
One person — a Forest Falls resident — remained unaccounted for after the mudslides. On Thursday, after “several days of methodical searching,” a San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department’s urban search and rescue team found the body of the missing woman, the sheriff’s department said in a statement.
The woman, identified as 62-year-old Doris Jagiello, was found buried under “several feet of mud, rocks and debris,” the sheriff’s department said.
“While this was not the desired outcome, the Sheriff’s Department hopes finding Jagiello will bring some measure of closure to Jagiello’s family and aid in their healing process,” the department said.
Perla Halbert gets a look at the damage to her property, unable to access it due to deep mud in her driveway, in the aftermath of a mudslide, Sept. 13, 2022, in Oak Glen, Calif.
Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP
The powerful storm prompted evacuations and led to debris flows down the natural drainages and creek beds in Forest Falls that damaged homes and blocked roads.
Jagiello’s home was destroyed in the storm, authorities said.
“As a large debris flow consisting of mud and extremely large boulders raced downhill, it overran Jagiello’s property and impacted her home causing significant structural damage and carrying away everything in its path,” the sheriff’s department said.
The rains were remnants of a tropical storm that brought heavy rains and strong winds to Southern California. A flood watch has been issued last weekend for parts of California, just outside of Los Angeles and San Diego.
Six homes in Forest Falls and two in Oak Glen were destroyed in the debris flow, according to the San Bernardino County Fire Department. Another nine were damaged and several other structures were destroyed or damaged.
The County of San Bernardino said it is seeking federal and state assistance for those impacted by the disaster.
A dog in Forest Falls that went missing in the storm was found alive after “48 hours of intense search operations” and has been reunited with its family, fire officials said Friday.
“Rescuers found her in a void space surrounded by dense mud and debris,” the San Bernardino County Fire Department said. “Chloe was reunited with her family, who were overjoyed to see her.”
