Winter storm battered parts of San Bernardino County, damage count released
Flooding, mud and debris ravaged parts of San Bernardino County during a Christmas storm, damaging 92 structures, with Wrightwood taking the biggest hit, followed by Lytle Creek, then Piñon Hills.
Many living in the area said they had witnessed heavy rains before, but the 2025 Christmas Eve storm brought long-lasting heavy rain, and combined with wildfire burn scars, mud and debris overtook roads and flowed into homes.
On Dec. 24, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department advised the community of Wrightwood to shelter in place and to avoid unnecessary travel, as Highway 2, leading into Wrightwood, was washed out due to flooding.
While county officials said the damage numbers do not distinguish between occupied homes and unoccupied outbuildings, a total of 45 structures were damaged in Wrightwood.
In Lytle Creek, 36 structures were damaged, as cellphone video taken in the area on Christmas Eve showed a rushing river of water flowing down a street.
"It was mayhem ... There's nothing we could have done to prepare for this level of destruction," Matthew Carrera said from his flooded-out, Lytle Creek damaged home. "There's no amount of sandbags or brick walls in the world that could have saved us from the storm surge that happened."
Mike Dodgin described the mudflow as his home was one of 11 Piñon Hills structures that were damaged by the storm. He said the mud hit the front door and flowed through the middle of his home.
"The levy gave way up above me somewhere, then all the water from Wrightwood, coming down the wash, started coming right into my property," Dodgin said, as he and his wife were trapped in the house for four hours until the water receded. "I couldn't believe the power of the water and the mud."
In all, county officials said two of the 92 structures were destroyed, 20 suffered major damage, 30 had minor damage, and 40 had less than minor damage, but were affected in some way.
Nearly 2,500 residents have received assistance, with 2,772 cases of water and 1,291 lanterns distributed.
