Does anyone have any idea why I lost power steering and wasn't able to brake?

it happened last night on the drive home. I first noticed my 2002 land rover discovery slow down. When I pushed the accelerator, it did not speed up. I tried to pull over to the side of the road, but the steering wheel was hard to turn. I was able to get it into a parking lot but when I went to push on the brakes, they were very hard, and I was barely able to stop. The 'sport mode' s light was flashing, and the battery light turned on, along with the oil light and a few others. The battery wasn't dead, because I was able to turn the radio on. When I tried to turn my car on again, the engine just would not turn over. It rained really hard right before I drove it tonight, and been doing some research. I found that a lot of people reported that this has happened to them after it rains. Anyway, can anyone help me troubleshoot this? I am currently at a seasonal job that ends in 2 days, so I cannot afford the expense right now.

additional information: a couple days earlier, I noticed water dripping from the bottom of the engine, towards the middle front. I called a mechanic friend and he said it was the a.c. system condensation dripping out. I popped the hood to take a look, and noticed the lid for the steering fluid reservoir was gone. I covered it up temporarily while a new cap comes in.

 

I suspect that your battery is flat. Just because the radio turns on doesn't mean there's enough power to run the truck.
With the engine not running, your brake booster will run out of vacuum and it will become difficult to push the pedal. Power steering also needs the engine to be running to function properly.
As to why your battery is flat, that's another matter. It could just be old and have dropped a cell, or you could have a disconnected cable, or maybe your alternator isn't working.

 

Did you check your serpentine belt?

 

I'm almost positive that is what the issue is... however, I am very car illiterate. Where on the engine is it? And if it did slip, how can i fix it?

up date: came back in the morning, struggles to turn on still. I was able to get or on, but the m and s symbols are flashing and it's making a loud noise.

 

The belt is on the front of the engine, winding around a number of major components including the power steering pump, a/c compressor, and alternator. If you stand in front of the truck and look down between the radiator and the engine you should see all the pulleys that the belt goes on. (You may have to remove a large plastic cowling first to be able to see clearly.)
If your truck hasn't been modified, look for the large fan behind the radiator. The belt should be running on the pulley behind that.

 

I found the belt. It looks fine, and is still on place. Currently, my car is on and running. It's not making the loud noise anymore, and the steering works. However, the check engine light is on, and I feel the car stuttering a lot. Also, the brakes are extremely stiff... any ideas on what could be wrong?

 

Get someone to read the codes to find out why the light is on. That will probably give you some clues.
I still suspect the battery. The flashing M & S lights can be triggered by low battery voltage.