Debris Flow Surprise: Lessons from the KOA and Saint Sophia Christmas Day Disasters
This December 25th marks the 20th anniversary (2003) of the Devore KOA and Saint Sophia Church Campground Mudslides, disasters that took the lives of 16, turned families and communities upside-down and led to the California Department of Transportation being found partially responsible.
The last few months of 2003 were devastating for Southern California as it had faced off against over a dozen wildfires collectively burned over 750,000 acres (Leena, 2017) – which pristine forests, wildlife, cities, communities, and campsites called home. These events would become aptly known as the “Fire Siege of 2003”. One of these fires, called the “Old Fire”, began October 25th, and destroyed over 91,000 acres in the San Bernardino Mountains near the Old Waterman Canyon, before being fully contained on November 2nd and resulting in 1.2 billion dollars in damage.
Its battle scars were significant.
When it rains, mountainsides rely on a system of vegetation and roots to act as “safety net” that holds dirt (and entire sides of mountains) in place. Without this network, debris flows can be expected until up to around 5 years after a fire – when enough vegetation has had a chance to grow back (California Department of Conservation, n.d.).
To learn more about Debris Flows click here.
Exactly one month after the fire began, on Christmas Day (December 25) the region was hit by significant rainfall, much to the dismay of communities and campers in and around the recently burned areas. Two of these locations, the KOA Campground near Devore and the Saint Sophia Church Campground were hit especially hard by what happened next.
Between the two, at least 16 would perish – a majority of them children camping with their families on Christmas break.
Devore KOA Campground
The Campgrounds of America (KOA) near Devore, California in the San Bernardino Mountains had a footprint of over 15 square acres (Google Earth Pro, n.d.) surrounded by steep mountainsides. Although county officials had warned of ensuing rain and possible mudslides, their warnings appeared lax and unserious without any evacuation order (Martin et al., 2003). This sentiment was not new to either the campground managers nor the more than 40 year-round residents, whose homes scattered the site (Flaccus, 2003).
No one, not even the county officials were expecting the quantity of rain that fell in and around the campsite. Without the foliage holding back the blackened earth on the mountain slopes around the camp it was only a matter of time until it all gave way. At 5:53 pm, it did.
Weather Report: Heavy rain. 8.58” at Lytle Creek, 5.79” Devore, 5.59” Santiago Peak, 5.40” Forest Falls, 3.94” Volcan Mountain. 0.35”-2.5” fell at lower elevations (NWS, 2023).
It started as a slurry-like mixture of ash and dirt but soon formed into a force to be reckoned with, flinging boulders the size of cars around like a chaotic game of marbles. Once sturdy trees, houses and nearby infrastructure were no match for the debris flow and patrons soon found themselves gathered together in the main campsite building seeking relief (Velga, 2003). It soon became clear however, that the facility was also doomed, as debris crashed through the front doors and across nearby escape routes –trapping everyone including first responders – who were now blocked by between 6 and 12 feet of mud, boulders, and trees.
In all, 52 people were rescued from the KOA campground (not including first responders) and 2 lost their lives. Dozens of campsite buildings, personal homes, and vehicles were destroyed by the time the flow would come to a halt just 3.5 miles from San Bernardino City Center (NOAA, n.d.).
Saint Sophia Church Campground
Just five miles east of the Devore KOA location, the Saint Sophia Campground, which was run by Greek Orthodox parishes and located at the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains near Waterman Canyon (CBS News, 2003) was hosting a Christmas Day celebration (BBC News, 2003). The 66-acre camp had at least 16 permanent buildings (Google, n.d.) and was being occupied by 28 people that day – mostly children and their families (Silverstein et al., 2003).
When the rain began early morning, there was little concern, as all seemed normal at camp. This perception soon began to shift as the storm strengthened and dropped over 3 inches of rain in approximately 12 hours (Fowler, 2013). At this point, all they could do was hunker down and wait it out. Soon the nearby river started rising (Carney, 2003). Then about around 2 pm, the entire mountainside came crashing down (Hymon et al, 2003).
“These folks had no warning … they didn’t even know it was coming until it was there” (CBS News, 2003).
Defenseless, and cut off from their escape route by the ensuing floods, all the campers could do was run and watch helplessly as the debris flow and mudslide overran the campground, obliterating it with a wall of mud up to 15 feet high traveling in excess of 45 mph (Hymon et al., 2003). Only 14 of the 28 known campers would be rescued, many of the remaining victims had been children that were ripped from their parent arms; the youngest of which was merely 8 months old. Engulphed by the fierce slide, some victims were found as far as Colton, nearly 15 miles downstream (Fowler, 2013).
"It's unbelievable up there… there are 75-foot logs stacked like matchsticks. Boulders the size of Volkswagens scattered like pebbles. Old concrete bridges knocked down because they could not take the stress of the debris flow" (Orlando Sentinel, 2003).
Lessons for Campsite Emergency Management
As a hobby and recreational activity, camping has seen a drastic rise in recent years; especially since the start of Covid-19 as more people look to get connected with nature and each other in a more stress-free environment. In the last two years alone in the United States, more than 15 million people went camping for the first time resulting in a total of over 80 million today (The Dyrt, 2023).
Excluding publicly owned campgrounds (such as those run by the US Forest Service) there are approximately 14,900 private campgrounds and RV parks in the United States (IBIS World), the majority of which are located in remote and hard-to-reach areas and may only have a single access road. Although not a campground, the recent Alaska landslide – which blocked access to the Zimova Highway, the lifeline of the communities on the outskirts of Wrangell, Alaska (Grove, 2023) – showed just how detrimental it can be when single-access blockages occur.
Hazard mitigation and disaster preparedness seem to remain a challenge for campgrounds, especially those without permanent sleeping accommodations[1] [2], often leaving local authorities scrambling to fill gaps when a disaster strikes (Drabek, 1995; Drabek, 1991; Murphy & Bayley, 1989); a notion that can be especially taxing during a broader crisis.
[1] Aside from factors like obvious dangerous weather and preexisting crises
[2] Some states have required basic emergency preparedness plans for RV parks and full-fledged private campsites
Lessons in Roadway Construction Forethought and Hazard Mitigation
Accompanying the deaths of more than a dozen patrons of the Saint Sophia Church Campground came multiple lawsuits against the church, San Bernardino County, and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). In a rare and shocking verdict, Caltrans was found to be 31% liable for the disaster because they:
Knowingly constructed California State Route 18 (in 1928) in such a manner that changed natural watershed flow areas and put communities (and campsites) at greater risk for flooding and mudslides. In fact, catch basins were built at the San Bernardino Mountain foothills for this very reason – to catch the debris flows and mudslides that would otherwise wreak havoc on more populated areas of the city (Barboza, 2010).
Failed to properly maintain California State Route 18 despite knowing the hazards and consequences of doing so. This negligence created such a dangerous condition that it played a “substantial factor” in causing harm to the victims (Barboza, 2010).
In the aftermath of the lawsuit, Caltrans altered the design of State Route 18 and installed debris catch nets above and below it.
“It does send a message to the state and the public entities that they have to be more diligent in making these roadways and drains safe for us and our families… because they’re the only ones who can do so.” (Barboza, 2010)
Although many debris flows occur naturally, the presence of roads have been shown to make its likelihood and issues significantly worse, especially for moderate and severe storms (USFS, n.d.). As these events become more common each year (Fitzgibborn & Meriam, 2023), the need for an increase in hazard mitigation measures (and budget) will follow.
Videos about the Disaster:
Storm Stories TV Show Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2nL3GdkYpU&ab_channel=SanBernardinoCountyFireDepartment
Saint Sophia Camp Site [Playlist]: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzquL04-sWQmakjbnMAfdOr1H9PIN6_u9
Home Footage:
Devore Debris Flow 2003: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_74kgrSHBQ&ab_channel=sensordev
Debris Flow Event Devore CA (1): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3W-wDIR-Os&ab_channel=bapyou
Debris Flow Event Devore CA (2): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4JPxw578UE&ab_channel=bapyou
Devore Christmas 2003: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uAUPRsfFRI&ab_channel=GuyMcCarthy
Getty Image Pictures: https://www.gettyimages.in/editorial-images/news/event/mudslides-ravage-southern-california/2831801
Incident – Related Reports
2003 Fire Siege Success Story and Model Programs: https://www.caloes.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/Fire-Rescue/Documents/20040405-BRC-Final-Report-Part-4-of-5.pdf
Lessons from the October 2003 Wildfires in Southern California: https://www.firescience.gov/projects/04-1-2-01/project/K2004_LessonsfromtheOctober2003.pdf
Governor’s Blue Ribbon Fire Commission – Report to the Governor: https://www.caloes.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/Fire-Rescue/Documents/20040405-BRC-Full-Report-All_Parts.pdf
Some Interesting Characteristics of the Southern California Wildfires and the Resulting Waterman Canyon Flash Flood/Mudslide Event of December 25, 2003: https://www.weather.gov/media/wrh/online_publications/talite/talite0429.pdf
Old Addresses:
KOA - 1707 Cable Canyon Rd, San Bernardino, CA 92407
Saint Sophia – 2449 Old Waterman Canyon Road, San Bernardino, CA 92404
In Memorium:
KOA: Janice Arlene Stout-Bradley, Carol Eugene Nuss
Saint Sophia: Ramon Meza – 30, David Meza – 12, Jorge Monzon – 40, Clara Monzon – 40, Wendy Monzon – 16, Raquel Monzon – 9, Jeremiah Monzon - 6 months, Carlos Camacho – 35, Joleila Navarro – 7, Pablo Navarro – 11, Ivan Navarro – 12, Miguel Navarro – 13, Rosa Aidee Juarez – 32 & Katherine Juarez – 3 (Saint Sophia, 2004).
References:
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BBC News. (2003, December 28). “Survival Unlikely” in US Mudslip. BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3349799.stm
California Department of Conservation. (n.d.). Post-Fire Debris Flow Facts. https://www.conservation.ca.gov/index/Pages/Fact-sheets/Post-Fire-Debris-Flow-Facts.aspx
Carney, S. (2003, December 27). Seven Dead, Nine Missing in Calif. Mudslides. The Boston Globe, 1 & 4. https://www.newspapers.com/image/442888097/ ; https://www.newspapers.com/image/442888125/
CBS News. (2003, December 30). Deaths at 14 in Calif. Mudslide. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/deaths-at-14-in-calif-mudslide/
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Flaccus, G. (2003, December 28). Two More Victims Found in Mudslides. The Day, 8. https://www.newspapers.com/image/972566636/?terms=KOA%20mudslide&match=1
Fowler, L. (2013, October 25). Old Fire: After the fires came the rain—And more tragedy. Daily News; Daily News. https://www.dailynews.com/general-news/20131025/old-fire-after-the-fires-came-the-rain-x2014-and-more-tragedy/
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Grove, C. (2023, November 22). At least 3 dead in Wrangell after landslide destroys homes. Alaska Public Media. https://alaskapublic.org/2023/11/21/at-least-3-dead-in-wrangell-after-landslide-destroys-homes/
Hymon, S., Becerra , H., & Landsberg, M. (2003, December 29). 7 Die, 9 Missing in California Slide. Deseret News; Los Angeles Times. https://www.deseret.com/2003/12/29/19803517/7-die-9-missing-in-california-slide
IBIS World. (2023, December 13). Campgrounds & RV Parks in the US - Number of Businesses. IBIS World. https://www.ibisworld.com/industry-statistics/number-of-businesses/campgrounds-rv-parks-united-states
Martin, H., Mehta, S., & Chong, J. (2003, December 31). At-Risk Areas Brace for Rain. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-dec-31-me-mudslides31-story.html
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Nelson, J. (2010, October 11). Jury to Determine Caltrans Payment in Mudslide Lawsuit from Church. Pasadena Star News. https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/general-news/20101011/jury-to-determine-caltrans-payment-in-mudslide-lawsuit-from-church/
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Saint Sophia Camp. (2004). Saint Sophia Camp—News—Memorial. https://web.archive.org/web/20040410052535/http://www.saintsophiacamp.org/news/memorial.htm
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USFS. (n.d.). Appendix F: AQUATIC INFORMATION . US Forest Service. https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5336032.pdf
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