Mudslides close piece of highway from Central Valley to Las Vegas

A mile stretch of California State Route 58 near Tehachapi is almost totally covered in mud, Kern County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Ray Pruitt said Friday morning. The mud is as thick as four to five feet in some areas and is covering eastbound and westbound lanes.

The highway remained closed Friday night, Kern County Sheriff’s Office Lt. D. Albro said, adding that Intestate 5 opened in both directions about 5 p.m.

Santa Barbara County also was experiencing flooding Friday night, Albro said.

“We’ve been pretty lucky,” Albro said about the rain subsiding in Kern County Friday.

Storms trapped about 115 vehicles and 75 tractors-trailers Thursday night, Pruitt said. About 300 people have been moved to shelters in Tehachapi and nearby Mohave, about 220 miles southwest of Las Vegas.

Cleanup efforts have begun, Pruitt said, but there is no time frame for when the highway will re-open.

The same storm system that caused the mudslides also brought rain to the Las Vegas Valley on Friday.

Review-Journal writer Ricardo Torres contributed to this report. Contact Lawren Linehan at llinehan@reviewjournal.com or at 702-383-0391. Find her on Twitter: @lawrenlinehan