40 people rescued from flash flood in California

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Authorities now say about 40 people were rescued from vehicles trapped by flash floods in a Southern California community at the tail end of a three-day storm.

Riverside County Fire Department officials say multiple vehicles got stuck shortly after 1 a.m. Thursday as several feet of mud and water roared over rural roads near Gilman Hot Springs about 80 miles southeast of Los Angeles.

Officials initially said 14 motorists were rescued by a swift water rescue crew.

No injuries were reported. Several cars and SUV remained stuck in mud by late morning, some with only their roofs exposed.

The weakening storm brought three days of rain to California. There was some flooding and evacuations near hillsides stripped bare by wildfires, but the Los Angeles area avoided major damage despite some huge rainfall totals.