Storm sweeps motorhomes into Los Angeles-area river

(KTLA) – Dramatic video captured an RV tumbling off an embankment before being swept into a river in Castaic, California, on Saturday. The RV was the latest victim of the winter storm pummeling Los Angeles County over the weekend.

Video captured by a neighbor shows an RV tumbling backward as the ground underneath gave way. Three other motorhomes suffered a similar fate, falling into and getting swept away by the Santa Clara River.

Fifteen trailers were evacuated from the Valencia Travel Village as the erosion began late Friday night.

Resident Peyton Stinson rushed over to help his friend who owned a motorhome in the park, but arrived too late to help salvage his RV. “He called me and he was screaming, ‘It’s gone, it’s going, it’s going!’ Almost in frantic tears, like it’s your whole life and there it goes.”

As record rainfall fell over Southern California this weekend, neighbors stood in shock overlooking what used to be a dry meadow that had now grown into a raging river, sweeping away anything in its path.

“It just started flowing so much that in 20 minutes of time, it went from 1,520 feet away to right up at the staircase,” said Stinson. “I mean there was no time. He was able to get his dog out of there, thank God, as well as himself and a couple of valuables, but by that time, the river was flowing so fast there was no time.”

The heavy storm knocked out power in the RV park, washing away an electrical cable and forcing residents to brave the frigid temps in complete darkness.

“It was hitting the sides of the trailer and the top and it was loud and we’ve had nonstop rain for two days now,” said resident Cathy Stephens.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” agreed Shawn Coulter, a part-time resident.

The storm’s damage left a portion of the park completely unrecognizable, locals said.

“This was our main street as well as trailers parked right in front and behind it, so that whole section was an additional 50 or more feet past where we’re at the moment,” Coulter said.

Now residents are anxiously waiting to see how much more damage the storm will inflict on the park that many call home.

“I just feel devastated for them and I hope that they don’t close the park because I don’t know where I’m gonna go,” said Stephens.

A GoFundMe campaign was created to help one of the residents whose trailer was destroyed by the storm.