East valley residents react to power outage and heavy rain

Thermal resident Cesar Lopez Barreras had to clean following overnight storms. He said in a flash, the rain came down on his home and others at the Silver Sand RV Park near Red Earth Casino in Thermal.

Video sent to News Channel 3 shows water rushing over a roadway. Cesar Lopez describes having mixed reactions to the storm.

“I was really excited about the rain, but then as it continued, I became concerned that this might be a problem." said Cesar Lopez.

His family decided to stay put and comfort their animals but monitored the storm in case conditions got worse.

"Even if we packed up the animals, and then the roads were flooded, it’s like we would be stuck and it would be more dangerous if we did that," said Cesar Lopez.

Residents in the area woke up to flooding. It was a similar scene in other eastern Coachella Valley communities.

One resident in Mecca said the storm temporarily knocked out power where he lives.

“I assume the power went out because it was dark in the morning when I arrived to open the shop so that people could come to get ice, and everything was dark," said Mecca resident Luis Enrique Islas.

For Cesar Lopez, the storm left him thinking about how quickly conditions can change.

"One of the things that took us by surprise was the amount of rainfall,” said Cesar Lopez.

He said next time, he and his family will better secure their animal enclosures to prevent them from flooding. Now, when the next storm hits, they’ll be prepared.

"Definitely having a radio with batteries in case you know to hear any emergency broadcasts that might be out there. We have a little pack of food that we stored, an emergency kit, as well as water," said Cesar Lopez.