Sea of Mud Traps Drivers Inside Vehicles on Southern California Highway Photos Show
A sea of mud trapped drivers inside their vehicles on a Southern California highway. The photos look apocalyptic. Cars sitting in feet of brown sludge with nowhere to go.
Heavy rains triggered mudslides that overwhelmed the highway catching drivers off guard. Some people were stuck for hours waiting for rescue.
LA Times documented the scene with aerial photos showing the scale of the disaster.
California has this cycle where fires strip vegetation then rains cause mudslides because nothing holds the soil anymore. Its predictable and still devastating every time.
Climate disasters keep intensifying and infrastructure keeps being inadequate to handle them.
The drivers caught in the mud described helplessness. Cant go forward. Cant go backward. Just waiting as more debris flows down hills around them.
First responders had to approach on foot in some areas because vehicles couldnt navigate the mud. The rescue operation took most of the day.
No fatalities reported which qualifies as a miracle given the photos. Property damage is extensive and the highway will need serious work before reopening.
Mudslide January 2023
