Big Bear Valley – Big Bear News – The morning of September 18, 2025, began with a deceptive calm in Big Bear City. Locals sipped coffee under gray skies, unaware that the mountains were about to roar. By early afternoon, the National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Warning for San Bernardino County. Radar showed a strong thunderstorm over Highland, moving north at 25 mph, packing 50 mph wind gusts and half-inch hail. The storm carved a path through Redlands, Yucaipa, and Lake Arrowhead, hammering the ridgelines and valleys with torrential rain.
But it was Highway 38 that took the brunt of the damage. Between Yucaipa and Onyx Summit, a partial road washout near Angelus Oaks forced an indefinite closure. Chunks of asphalt were swept away, leaving exposed earth and fractured guardrails dangling over steep drop-offs. Caltrans crews arrived quickly, but the scale of the damage made it clear: this wasn’t a quick fix.
Highway 330, though still open, was battered by rockslides and flash flooding. Drivers described the descent into Highland as “white-knuckle,” with water sheeting across blind curves and debris littering the shoulders.
In Big Bear Lake, the storm left its mark: hail-pocked vehicles, toppled patio furniture, and a few unlucky pine trees now horizontal. The thunder echoed off the lake like cannon fire, and the streets shimmered with runoff.
By evening, the skies began to clear, revealing a bruised but resilient mountain community. With Highway 38 out of commission for the foreseeable future, locals braced for longer commutes, detours, and the slow grind of recovery. But as always, the spirit of the mountains—weathered and wild—remained unshaken.
