Bishop - Flash flood, mud slide wreak havoc

Shown in these photos is some of the property damaged by Saturday’s mud slide and flash flood, which destroyed as many as 25 structures, including homes and outbuildings. Top two photos courtesy Carma Roper, Inyo County Sheriff’s Department/bottom photo by Ken Babione

A torrential summer downpour, coupled with barren earth left by last year’s Inyo Complex Fire, forced dozens of Independence residents from their homes over the weekend and prompted local authorities to declare a state of emergency as a massive mud slide made its way from the Sierra into Fort Independence.
Some lost everything on Saturday, as the mud slide carved its way down Oak Creek and across U.S. 395, taking homes, vehicles, trees and boulders with it.
Mandatory evacuation orders were issued by the Inyo County Sheriff’s Department in the areas of Oak Creek and West Fort Independence and the Fort Independence Campground Saturday where several homes and other structures were destroyed by the floods.

Heavy rains falling on the areas scorched by last summer’s Inyo Complex Fire created a deluge of floodwaters coming down from the Sierra on Saturday, wreaking havoc on the valley floor and homes, roads and other structures in its path. Photo by Ken Babione

Evacuation shelters were set up at Owens Valley School on Clay Street in Independence and, for those trapped on the north side of the flood waters, at the Town Hall on Dewey Street in Big Pine through Sunday afternoon.
“It is estimated that 25 structures suffered major damage, not to mention numerous outbuildings,” said Inyo County Sheriff Bill Lutze. “South Oak Creek is considered to be a total loss.”
However, damage to roads has prohibited officials from gaining a full scope of damage caused by the flooding, said Inyo County Sheriff’s Department Public Information Officer Carma Roper.
“The problem we’re having is gaining access, some of the roads are nonexistent, completely washed out,” said Roper.
There were relatively few injuries reported, considering the extent of the damages and severity of the flooding in the area.
“We’re extremely fortunate that there are not any fatalities reported,” said Roper.
The only major injury reported as of press time Monday came from a resident of Oak Creek, who was swept about a mile down stream by the flood and mud slide.
“I went down there to take care of this man that was hurt – he came down with the mud down Oak Creek,” said Red Cross Disaster Action Team Member Ted Metz. “He rode about a mile and a half down the creek.”

A CalFire crew surveys the damage on Oak Creek after Saturday’s mud slide. The slide displaced several Independence families and completely destroyed about 25 buildings. Photo courtesy Carma Roper, Inyo County Sheriff’s Department

Metz reported that the injured man seemed to only suffer from cuts and abrasions from his ride down the mud slide.
“He said he didn’t have any broken bones, but he’s being evaluated at the hospital today,” Metz said on Monday.
“He is lucky to be alive,” said Roper, “it’s nothing short of a miracle. But he has lost everything, as have many people.”
Officials have not been able to determine how many people were affected by the flooding, but estimate that approximately 40 Independence residents may be without homes.
According to Roper, most of those residents whose homes were damaged or destroyed are staying with friends and family members.
Inyo County Health and Human Services suspended its shelters in Big Pine and Independence on Sunday, Roper said, because there were no residents using those facilities.
Floodwaters began pushing mud and debris east down Oak Creek, the area burned by the Inyo Complex Fire last July, Saturday evening at about 5 p.m. The mud slides traveled down Oak Creek to the Mt. Whitney Fish Hatchery and on down to West Fort Independence, where several residents were evacuated.
From the time the flooding began, it was only about two hours until the mud slide crossed U.S. 395 and entered the Fort Independence area.
The first property that was damaged by the flood and mud slides was the Keith Bright Ranch.
“The Keith Bright Ranch is gone, there is nothing left,” said Fourth District Inyo County Supervisor Jim Bilyeu, who was attending a barbecue at Keough’s outside of Bishop Saturday afternoon when the rain storm began. “The vehicles that were there were washed downstream and so was the mobile that was his residence.”
The flood waters followed the creek down to the Mt. Whitney Fish Hatchery.
The damage at the Mt. Whitney Fish Hatchery “is fairly extensive,” said Hatchery Manager Bob Wakefield.
The floodwaters filled the hatchery raceways with mud and debris at about 5 p.m. on Saturday, killing off almost all the trout held at the breeding and rearing facility.
Wakefield estimated that about 2,800 fish were lost to the floodwaters, mud and debris.
The flood “pretty much destroyed one house and two spawning sheds, where we bring up the Mt. Whitney brood stock,” said Wakefield.
The home that was damaged in the flood was the residence of a Fish and Wildlife technician who was staying at the hatchery. That employee, Wakefield said, has returned to his home in Mojave.
The Department of Fish and Game began its clean-up efforts at the hatchery Sunday, but has not yet determined the cost of damages.
“I’m waiting for some folks from Sacramento to come down and make that assessment,” said Wakefield.
There were no injuries reported from the Mt. Whitney Hatchery staff.
As the mud slide continued down Oak Creek, it crossed U.S. 395 at about 6 p.m. Saturday, prompting the California Highway Patrol to shut down the highway at about 6:30 p.m.
The CHP opened the highway with officer escorts at about 11:45 p.m.
As of press time Monday, the CHP was still conducting transports for vehicles traveling on U.S. 395 north of Independence.
Crews from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and Caltrans are currently working to clear mud and debris from the roadway.
“Safety is the number one concert; there are a lot of heavy equipment operators removing debris,” said Caltrans spokeswoman Trish Sanders. “Anyone wanting access to Fish Hatchery Road is asked to please check in and wait for an escort.”
Bilyeu and Bright witnessed the mud slide crossing the highway as they returned home from Bishop Saturday evening.
“We got there just as the mud started to cross (U.S.) 395,” Bilyeu said. “It reminded me of volcanic lava. It was black and that’s how it moved. It was moving forward, but at a very slow rate of speed. What caught my attention was a tree floating across the road upright.”
As the mud and debris traveled down the creek bed, it clogged culverts and ditches, eventually forcing the floodwaters to carve their own path to the south of the creek bed, flowing east, towards Fort Independence.
The mud slide did not affect the Fort Independence Reservation, but did flood out parts of Fort Independence.
“It just followed the creek all the way down. There are about 15 homes that are unusable – some of them were completely destroyed,” Bilyeu said, noting that the Inyo County Public Works Department was assessing the damage on Monday.
When the flooding started, “it sounded like a freight train coming through, and that was when it was still on the other side of the highway,” said Fort Independence resident Brenda Lacey. “I’ve never heard anything like that. Big boulders, people’s propane tanks were floating down the highway.”
Lacey, who lives with her husband and two daughters, was not evacuated during the flood, and her home was one of the ones spared. “We lucked out again,” she said, referring to the Inyo Complex Fire last July.
She said and her family feel heartsick for those who did not fare so well on the other side of the highway.
According to Lacey, Schabell Lane in Independence is covered with approximately three feet of mud and debris. The Oak Creek bed through Fort Independence is completely clogged, with the creek continuing to run down he side of the highway and through the new path the mud slide and floodwaters created to the south of the creek bed.

As the mudslide hit Oak Creek, “the Independence Volunteer Fire Department was right on it, heading up there to help people – it just happened really fast,” Lacey said. “The Independence Fire Department did a good job and (DWP) was right there helping too.”
Crews from the LADWP worked throughout the night on Saturday to clear away mud and debris from ditches, culverts and roadways, but the work is slow-going and difficult.
According to Bilyeu, local emergency response teams were instrumental in the handling of the flood. “They were there when they were needed. Everyone was taken by surprise by this, and the sheriff set up an emergency response center immediately,” he said. “Everyone has done an excellent job in response to this,” which is why there were so few injuries.
Though Inyo County Health and Human Services is not currently manning relief shelters for those displaced by the flood, anyone in need of long-term care is being referred to the Red Cross.
A flood relief fund has been set up by the Independence Civic Club to help those whose homes have been destroyed or damaged by the flooding. Donations may be sent to the Independence Civic Club, attention Flood Relief Fund, P.O. Box 482, Independence, CA 93526.
Also, Rob Lawler, commander of the Bishop Salvation Army, said that he and his staff have prepared both the Salvation Army’s mobile food kitchens, and will be able to deploy them within an hour’s notice from the county. The Salvation Army is also accepting donations of food and clothing for flood victims.
A community meeting will be held today at 5 p.m. at the American Legion Hall in Independence to discuss the flood and rela ted issues.