debris flow event | 25 December 2003 | Devore, California

In the fall of 2003, several wildfires raged across the mountains and hills of southern California. Two of these fires - named Old and Grand Prix - occurred in areas adjacent to Cajon Pass, the locus of major transportation, power, and communications infrastructure. When winter rains fall on steep southern California land that has burned, water runoff is greater than on land that has not burned. The possibility of debris flow events also increases.

During a 24 hour period 24 to 25 December 2003, more than 4 inches (100 mm) of rain fell on the small rural town Devore and the surrounding mountains. Devore is located at the foot of Cajon Pass below the areas that burned in 2003. This footage was recorded in Devore, California on 25 December 2003 during and after the debris flow event produced by the torrential rains.

Three deaths occurred as a result of the Christmas Day debris flow events in the area around Devore. It is unknown whether any of the deaths occurred as a result of the debris flows depicted in this video.

No sound. (My apologies for the wacky font sizes in the ending text panels. There was an imperfect transition between the .wmv file and YouTube.)

Video courtesy of Susan Cannon, researcher, Landslide Hazards Program, United States Geological Survey, Denver, Colorado.

Video recorded by Mr. Davis, resident, Devore, San Bernardino County, California, 25 December 2003.

TECHNICAL:

Camera make & model unknown | edited using Windows Movie Maker

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• debris
• flow
• fire
• Grand
• Prix
• Old
• geography
• geomorphology
• geology
• rocks
• transport
• rain
• storms
• Devore
• California
• Bingham

[SittingMooseShaman]

...well, there lay all the material needed for that backyard water feature ya always wanted...delivered free!

[hebneh]

For water that isn't very deep, those huge rocks are certainly traveling fast. Hard to believe, in fact, that such big boulders are being tumbled down this street at all.

[Alexknobsob]

Great video

[Snauzer67]

I hate landslides and the likes.

[todotodo101]

haha. too true.

[mitch8769]

the comments made on youtube are sometimes the most amusing part of surfing the vidz.

[bapyou]

FYI - There's not much on the internet about Devore, CA. I've looked. Let me know what you find out. If anything.

[football9999999]

oh. yeah i lie in maryland sso thats why i thought it was weird;. i will have to do some research on the town

[bapyou]

Well, I don't have a clue as to where you come from. How could I? As for the name of the town, towns are often named after a founder. Probably there was some guy named Devore for whom the place was named. Devore is an unincorporated part of San Bernardino County, Calif. It's a nice area. But, as this video attests, Devore has it's share of hazards with which it has to deal from time to time. In addition to debris flows, Devore is located directly on top of one section of the San Andreas fault.

[football9999999]

its not that hard to understand. there is a town on the other side of the country that has the same name as me. Think a little bit