Thunderstorm, Flooding Hit Desert and Mountains

An intense thunderstorm and flash flood warnings sent residents and firefighters scrambling for sandbags to save homes as rain washed down on desert and mountain communities in Southern California on Thursday.

Five homes in the Erwin Lake area were flooded by 11:30 a.m. before the rain tapered off in this San Bernardino Mountains community, said Fire Department spokeswoman Deanne Berry.

Firefighters put sandbags around the homes, but no one was evacuated, officials said.

Calling the weather system a “dangerous storm,” the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning until 9 p.m. Thursday for the western portions of the Mojave Desert, Riverside County, San Bernardino County and Imperial County, and for Death Valley and all of San Diego County.

At Big Bear, a sheriff’s deputy said: “We had a real heavy rain and some lightning, but no problems.”

The National Weather Service said 1.2 inches of rain were recorded at Big Bear between 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

In San Diego County, the threat of flash floods was increased by the slow movement of the thunderheads, some of which were reported nearly stationary.

The heavy rains were generated from a high pressure system positioned over central Nevada, a Weather Service forecaster said.

The storm watch and flash flood warning were canceled at 9 p.m. with no reports of major damage.