News: At least 13 dead as heavy rains trigger flooding, mudflows and freeway closures across Southern California

[Arcadia]

From LA Times http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-rainfall-mudflow-20180109-story.html

“At least 13 people were killed Tuesday when a rainstorm sent mud and debris coursing through Montecito neighborhoods and left rescue crews to scramble through clogged roadways and downed trees to search for victims.

 

The deluge that washed over Santa Barbara County early Tuesday was the worst-case scenario for a community that was ravaged by the Thomas fire only a few weeks earlier. In just a matter of minutes, pounding rain overwhelmed the south-facing slopes above Montecito and flooded a creek that leads to the ocean, sending mud and massive boulders rolling into residential neighborhoods, according to Santa Barbara County Fire Department spokesman Mike Eliason.

 

At least 25 other people were injured, authorities said at an afternoon press conference. Crews rescued 50 people by air and dozens more from the ground.

 

“It’s going to be worse than anyone imagined for our area,†Eliason said in a phone interview Tuesday. “Following our fire, this is the worst-case scenario.â€

 

The deaths came after a heavy band of rain struck around 2:30 a.m., causing “waist-high†mudflows, Eliason said.

...

The mudslide struck a section of the city that is south of the Thomas fire’s burn area and was not subject to a mandatory evacuation, Eliason said.

...

In the 300 block of Hot Springs Road, crews rescued six people and a dog after four homes were destroyed. The mud lifted one home off of its foundation and carried it into trees, where it then collapsed, Eliason said. Firefighters used the jaws of life to cut their way into the home where a firefighter heard muffled cries for help from a 14-year-old girl, Eliason said.

 

A rescue dog pinpointed the girl’s location and two hours later, the mud-covered girl was pulled free. A second 14-year-old girl was also rescued from the same neighborhood and carried from ankle-high mud in a basket by half a dozen firefighters.

 

The U.S. Coast Guard also sent rescue helicopters into the area Tuesday morning, hoisting several people from collapsed homes or rooftops that stood above swirling mud and water. Rescue personnel were also able to save a young boy who was swept more than half a mile south from his house after the building was lifted from its foundation in Montecito, authorities said.

 

The boy was found alive under a U.S. 101 overpass, authorities said. But his father remains unaccounted for.

...

The 101 Freeway was shut down in both directions for more than 30 miles in the Thomas fire burn area because of flooding and debris flow, spanning an area from Santa Barbara to Ventura, according to the California Highway Patrol. Sections of routes 33 and 150 were also closed in Ventura County, according to the Sheriff’s Department. There was no estimate for when the roadways might reopen, a California Department of Transportation spokesman said Tuesday afternoon

...

Santa Barbara County officials evacuated nearly 7,000 residents from foothill communities shortly before the heaviest surge hit the area, according to Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Kelly Hoover.

 

About 3 a.m., she said, the storm became ferocious.

 

“We just had a deluge, a power surge of rain. And we had a report of a structure fire burning in the Montecito area, the San Ysidro area. And it just kept going downhill from there,†she said. “We have people stuck in their homes, stuck in their cars. There’s downed power lines, flooded roadways, debris.â€

 

Hoover said the shutdown of the 101 Freeway was heavily hindering rescue efforts.

 

“There’s no way to get from Ventura here, no way for us to get south,†Hoover said. “We’re encouraging people to stay off the roads if they’re in an evacuation area.â€

 

By 8:30 a.m., the county’s dispatch center had at least 50 calls pending, she said.

...

International travelers arriving at Los Angeles International Airport also had to be diverted from Terminal 2 on Tuesday morning, after the customs area became flooded, the airport said on Twitter.

 

The CHP also said heavy rains likely contributed to a crash that left one person dead on Highway 126 in Ventura County, about two miles from the Los Angeles County line, on Monday afternoon. One woman died and two others were injured in the five-car crash, the agency said.

 

The National Weather Service was reporting rainfall totals of up to five inches in Ventura County and 3.3 inches in Santa Barbara County as of 11 a.m. Nearly 1½ inches of rain had fallen in Bel-Air, which could be susceptible to mudslides and debris flow because of damage caused by the Skirball fire last month.â€

 

Other news links

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/01/09/576743025/after-fires-thousands-evacuate-in-southern-calif-over-risk-of-mudslides

http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/09/us/southern-california-evacuations-rain-flooding/index.html

Edited January 10, 2018 by Arcadia in CA

[EMS83]

Wow.   :grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:  for those dealing with that.

[Minerva]

This is heartbreaking.

 

There are still dozens of people missing.

 

 

 

 

[sassenach]

Yeah, I had a feeling that was coming. First fires, then mudslides. California is consistent.

 

This was one heck of a downpour.

[gaillardia]

Any of our boardies in that area? 

:grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug: Coast to coast, America is getting slammed. Stay safe, everyone.

[happi duck]

:(

[Arcadia]

Any of our boardies in that area?

I don’t think so. The area affected is the same region as Thomas Fire and I don’t remember any boardies were affected. We did have boardies affected by the Sonoma County fires a few months ago , luckily no news of mudslides there.

[Arcadia]

Death toll is now 15.

 

From ABC7news http://abc7news.com/weather/santa-barbara-county-flooding-death-toll-rises-to-15/2923025/?sf178809611=1

“Santa Barbara County Fire Department officials confirmed the number of fatalities rose from 13 to 15 overnight.

 

The fatality figure could increase as at least two dozen people were considered still missing as search-and-rescue efforts continued.

 

"While we hope it will not, we expect that this number will increase as we continue to look for people who are still missing and unaccounted for," Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said.â€

[PrincessMommy]

I've been trying to keep up.  So very sad.  Lord have mercy. 

 

 

[Arcadia]

17 deaths now :(

 

From LA Times at 4:25pm http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-montecito-storm-mudflow-20180110-htmlstory.html

“The death toll rose to 17 after bodies were recovered Wednesday, Brown told reporters at an afternoon news conference.

 

At least 28 others had been reported injured, and 13 more are missing, officials said. Approximately 100 homes were destroyed and 300 were damaged in the mudslides, according to Anderson. Eight commercial properties were also destroyed, she said.

 

Officials have yet to publicly identify any of those killed in the mudslides. Mike Eliason, public information officer for the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, said there were juveniles among the deceased.

...

At least 7,000 people have been evacuated from the area. As part of ongoing rescue efforts, a “public safety exclusion zone†has been established in Montecito.â€

[sassenach]

Any of our boardies in that area?

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: Coast to coast, America is getting slammed. Stay safe, everyone.

The slide was in an UBER rich area. Oprah’s neighborhood. So I’m guessing no boardies.