A child was missing, homes were damaged and some roads were blocked after heavy rains swept over parched land on Thursday night, bringing mudslides and flooding to parts of Southern California, the authorities said.
As of early Friday, a 2-year-old boy remained missing after the powerful floodwaters pushed a vehicle off a road at about 7:14 p.m. in Barstow, Calif., a city in San Bernardino County about 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles.
The child, identified as Xavier Padilla Aguilera, and his father, Brandon Padilla Aguilera, 26, were separated in the floodwaters, according to a statement from the Barstow Police Department. The city’s Fire Department rescued Mr. Aguilera, who has since been released from Barstow Community Hospital. The search for the child continued on Friday, a relative said.
The rain came from the remnants of Tropical Storm Mario, which formed last Friday and weakened earlier this week. The storm moved first into Southern California, spreading across the Los Angeles area on Wednesday. One location in the mountains of Ventura County received nearly two inches of rain.
Heavy rain is unusual this time of year in Southern California, where the summer heat typically leaves the ground parched and prone to wildfires. Even a scant amount of rain can set off a landslide when it saturates the dry ground. That was what happened on Thursday evening, causing mud and debris to flow into residential areas, affecting homes and leaving several roads impassable, according to social media updates from the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District.
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