Executive Summary
- A new evacuation shelter accepting pets has opened at the San Bernardino County Fairgrounds in Victorville.
- San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department issued a shelter-in-place order for Wrightwood due to mudslides.
- Major flooding and accidents have forced closures on the 5 Freeway and several state routes.
- Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency for Southern California.
A new emergency shelter has opened in Victorville to assist residents displaced by a powerful winter storm system currently battering Southern California, according to the San Bernardino County Fire Department. The facility, located at the San Bernardino County Fairgrounds at 14800 Seventh St., replaces the previously operational Care and Reception Center at Silverado High School, which closed Wednesday evening.
Fire department officials confirmed that the new location is equipped to accommodate evacuees as well as pets and animals of all sizes. The relocation of the shelter comes as the region faces significant precipitation from an atmospheric river, prompting safety warnings and operational adjustments across the Inland Empire.
Simultaneously, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department has issued a shelter-in-place order for the Wrightwood community due to hazardous mud and debris flows. Authorities explicitly advised residents not to attempt to walk or drive through flooded areas. Video footage from the area depicts flash flooding sweeping through residential zones, with San Bernardino County Fire personnel conducting door-to-door checks to assist trapped residents.
The storm system has also caused widespread disruption to regional infrastructure. According to the California Highway Patrol, a section of the 5 Freeway in the Sun Valley area experienced significant flooding, leading to lane closures. Additionally, a crash involving a FedEx truck in San Fernando exacerbated traffic conditions, scattering packages across the roadway. Caltrans reported multiple closures on mountain routes, including the Angeles Crest Highway and State Route 138.
In Orange County, officials noted a reprieve for some residents. Evacuation orders and road closures for areas near the Airport Fire burn scar, including Trabuco Creek and Bell Canyon, were lifted Wednesday evening as debris flow concerns subsided in that specific sector. However, Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency for Southern California to expedite resource deployment as the wet weather is forecast to persist through Friday.
Regional Safety Assessment
The activation of the Victorville fairgrounds as a primary shelter site highlights the dynamic nature of the emergency response required by consecutive storm systems saturating Southern California. The primary concern for emergency management remains the stability of burn scar areas, where soil saturation significantly increases the probability of catastrophic debris flows, as observed in Wrightwood. While localized improvements in Orange County suggest effective drainage in some sectors, the widespread flooding of major arterial highways indicates that regional drainage infrastructure is operating at or beyond capacity, requiring heightened vigilance from motorists and residents in low-lying areas.
