Storms pummel Canyon Lake

Inches of rain fell incessantly on Canyon Lake this week, raising the lake level by over two feet, shutting down the North Causeway and nearly swallowing up Skippers Island.

To add to the painful deluge, a car accident on Monday closed Railroad Canyon Road entirely near the freeway when a car ran into a water main pipe, resulting in even more water geysering onto the already-flooding road. Commuting Canyon Lakers were forced to circle back and enter the community from either Highway 74 or the Menifee side.

Water poured over the Railroad Canyon Dam, which has a spillway elevation of 1,381.76, as the lake filled to 1,383.4 feet midweek. The water flowed down the San Jacinto River on its way to Lake Elsinore.

What’s left of Skippers Island pokes up from the lake while the bridge to the island is stranded during the storm this week. Photo by Alan Coffield

Despite the record-breaking rainfall in Southern California, it appears aside from a few inconvenient road closures, Canyon Lake came out of the storm (at least at The Friday Flyer’s midweek press deadline) unscathed.

Canyon Lake’s rainfall for the week, as of Tuesday night, was 4.37” according to Friday Flyer weather monitor Pat Elliano’s Canyon Lake weather station. More rain was projected for the rest of the week that could come close to the five-inch mark.

Last year was a wet year, bringing California out of its years-long drought. This season lagged behind the rainfall season-to-date totals of last year up until this week. Now, the total rainfall for the season this year is 10.73”, a whopping three inches more than last year’s season totals (season begins on July 1).

This walkway at Treasure Island was for swimmers only after this week‘s rains. Photo by Barbie Curan

Some lakefront property owners reported to The Friday Flyer that their docks and seawalls were underwater by as much as two feet during the height of the storm Tuesday. With the lake flowing out over the top of the dam, the levels will gradually decrease back to normal. In the meantime, several  parks, the North Causeway, half the Main Causeway and parts of the Canyon Lake Golf Course are under water.

Weather forecasters have done their best to predict the upcoming weather, but the storm has shifted quickly for areas like Canyon Lake that, most of the time, has been on the edges of the major weather that hit Orange County and Los Angeles. Those areas were at the center of the storm and received two-day totals of rain Monday and Tuesday that were more than had ever been recorded there.

It appears the heaviest part of the rain system is over, but things could shift quickly. Some forecasters are calling for more rain over this weekend in Riverside County, while others say the rain is over for now.

The advice from police and fire officials remains consistent and advisable. That flooded road that is so tempting to cross swallows up vehicles. Turning around and taking the long way home can be a whole lot drier than the alternative.

Crane does some “fish in the barrel” hunting as water overflows the North Causeway Tuesday. The causeway was shut down on Tuesday afternoon after water crossed over the road. Photo by Aprile DeAnne McKinnon

Lake levels impede on Treasure Island Tuesday after about four inches of rain had fallen over the previous 48 hours. Photo by Barbie Curan

A temporary water hazard fills the 6th Fairway. Photo by Frances Duman

Main boat launch gets swallowed up by rising lake level during this week’s storms .Photo by Marti Norris

The picnic will need to wait as lake water floods this park earlier this week. Photo by Rick Thibodaeu

Photo by Rick Thibodaeu