Missing woman found after Southern California mudslides
A woman who went missing after flash floods sent mudslides hurtling through her mountain town in Southern California has been found dead under mud, rocks and other debris
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A woman who went missing after recent flash floods unleashed mudslides that swept through her town in the Southern California mountains has been found dead under a pile of mud, rocks and other debris, authorities said Friday.
Thunderstorms late Monday triggered the mudslides carrying rocks, trees and earth that washed away cars, buried homes and affected 3,000 residents in two remote communities in the San Bernardino Mountains.
First responders, including K-9 units, searched for Doris Jagiello, 62, amid the devastation in Forest Falls, a former summer getaway for cabin owners that has become a bedroom community. A large debris flow, full of mud and “extremely large boulders,” hurtled downhill and crashed into Jagiello's home, causing significant damage “and carrying away everything in its path.”
Jagiello's body was found Thursday, buried under several feet (meters) of mud.
“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 San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said in a statement Friday.
The woman's family did not immediately respond to phone calls or text messages seeking comment.
The severity of the mudslide in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to residents about the destruction that can be wreaked months or even years after wildfires have been put out and the smoke clears.
An intense amount of rain over even a short period of time have catastrophic effects on hillsides where fire has stripped away vegetation that once held the ground intact. On Monday, nearly 2 inches (5 centimeters) of rain fell atop nearby Yucaipa Ridge.
Mudslides had been a concern in areas of the San Bernardino Mountains that were burned by the deadly El Dorado Fire, which was sparked two years ago when a couple used a smoke device to reveal their baby’s gender. The couple was charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of a firefighter.
In January 2018, mudslides thundered down a steep mountainside that had burned a month earlier. The slides killed more than 20 people in the tony beachside town of Montecito near Santa Barbara. The worst of the rain fell in a 15-minute span with Montecito getting little more than a half-inch (1.25 centimeters) in five minutes.