Powerful storm destroys bridge in Mariposa County

MARIPOSA COUNTY (KFSN) -- Mariposa County officials are cleaning and repairing multiple roads and bridges Saturday evening after a massive storm passed through the day before.

It's just a reminder of how powerful storms can be that the well-traveled county bridge was rendered unusable after a portion of the road leading to it was washed away in the storm.

Standing outside of his car, one man showed signs of frustration after realizing the bridge he needed to get across is closed.

Friday's raging storm made the overpass at Indian Peak Road near Hirsch impassable after a portion of the road leading to it collapsed to the ground.

"I've been here almost 17 years and I haven't seen anything come down that fast that intense," resident Kristy Lebovitz said.

Lebovitz says water from the creek in her backyard is what took the bridge out and her husband captured just how powerful it was on his cell phone.

"There was hardly in boulders showing during that runoff and the noise was incredible," she said. "It was deafening."

And it left the bridge closed for an indefinite amount of time. County officials say nearly 15 feet of the bridge was washed out and resulted in a significant amount of damage that will require major repairs for days and weeks to come.

And Mariposa County officials say the preliminary damage estimate for this bridge is at least $250,000.