A mudslide has transformed a portion of Montecito into something resembling a post-apocalyptic movie. JUAN CARLO/THE STAR
MONTECITO, Calif. — The numbers are horrific and just begin to tell the tale of tragedy unfolding in this quaint coastal hamlet overwhelmed by walls of debris, mud and water where rescuers Thursday continued the onerous search for survivors.
Cal Fire puts the affected area at 30 square miles. Seventeen people dead, 28 injured, 43 missing — a number updated by officials due to a clerical mistake. Sixty-five homes confirmed destroyed and more than 400 damaged. Fourteen helicopters and four water rescue teams were aiding the effort.
And rescue teams were still slogging through the mud, hunting for the missing and assessing the damage. Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, a Montecito resident ordered to evacuate before the mudslides began, discussed the tragedy Thursday on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
"There are families missing, there are people who are missing family members," DeGeneres said. "They’re finding people and bodies and I mean, you hear the word mudslide and you have no idea the impact that it has ... (Montecito) is beyond recognizable."
The tale that led to these tears is nothing new in Southern California. First came the fires, and the Thomas Fire last month in this area west of Los Angeles was the biggest ever recorded in the state.
More: How fire, wind and rain combined to create the deadly mudslide in California
More: Montecito residents Ellen DeGeneres, Oprah discuss California mudslides
More: Southern California mudslides: At least 17 dead, 100 homes destroyed
The last embers were barely extinguished when the rains came. Residents of some communities were ordered out in advance as authorities feared the hillsides, left bare of vegetation by the fire, would be swept down onto homes below.
Before dawn Tuesday, the worst fears were realized. By the time the rains moved on, dozens of boulders sat atop muddied tree branches on Olive Mill Road, where at least three homes were blasted to their foundations when the debris suddenly roared in.
Some residents watched as crews tried to clean up the area, still in disbelief. Marco Farrell, 45, said he was two blocks away when he saw the slide descending on Olive Mill Road.
"I heard rumbling and ran for my life," he said. "Literally. Ran for my life."
A wall of water carrying uprooted trees and boulders flowed like a river through the residential street. About a block up from Farrell’s home, firefighters were helping Devon Crail and his wife, Tiare, retrieve items from his parents’ house.
About 20 large tree branches had formed a dam on the driveway, blocking mud from passing his parents’ cars. The trees and mud knocked down a fence and hedges that surrounded the front of the property.
Crail credited a retaining wall with saving the home from more serious damage. He said his parents called 9-1-1, then waited.
“They were told to shelter until they heard a knock at the door,” Crail said.
![Members of California Task Force 8 of San Diego search]()
1 of 49![A house is covered in mud at Olive Mill Road in Montecito,]()
2 of 49![The devastation of a mudslide on East Valley Road in]()
3 of 49![The scene of a mudslide on East Valley Road in Montecito,]()
4 of 49![The devastation of a mudslide can be seen on East Valley]()
5 of 49![Members of California Task Force 8 of San Diego search]()
6 of 49![Marco Farell gets a few of his belongings out of his]()
7 of 49![Two firefighters get a safe out of a flooded house]()
8 of 49![The devastation of the mud slide in Montecito.]()
9 of 49![Jester, a search dog, with Region Task Force 10 checks]()
10 of 49![A couple of residents try to walk through two feet]()
11 of 49![A friend of a resident looks at the devastation cause]()
12 of 49![Julie Purcell with Region Task Force 10 walks with]()
13 of 49![A couple of residents take their boots off after attempting]()
14 of 49![Members of the Los Angeles County Fire Department Search]()
15 of 49![A CalTrans worker searches a portion of the 101 Freeway]()
16 of 49![Residents check a mud inundated home in Montecito.]()
17 of 49![A cyclist rides down a mud covered street in Montecito.]()
18 of 49![Workers clear a mud inundated road in Carpenteria.]()
19 of 49![A firefighter conducts search and rescue efforts in]()
20 of 49![Fremont City Firefighter Jordan Castro checks vehicles]()
21 of 49![Teresa Drenick stands in her sister's Montecito home]()
22 of 49![A Los Angeles County firefighter walks with his dog]()
23 of 49![Firefighters search for people trapped in mudslide]()
24 of 49![A member of the Long Beach Search and Rescue team looks]()
25 of 49![Cars sit in mud at a housing complex in Montecito,]()
26 of 49![Mud and debris rest on a roadway after heavy rains]()
27 of 49![A man who gave his name only as Ian rides his bike]()
28 of 49![This photo provided by the Santa Barbara County Fire]()
29 of 49![This photo provided by the Santa Barbara County Fire]()
30 of 49![A women is hoisted with the help of a San Bernardino]()
31 of 49![A structure is smashed against a tree along Hot Springs]()
32 of 49![Mud fills the interior of a car destroyed in a rain-driven]()
33 of 49![Phillip Harnsberger crosses through mud from a flooded]()
34 of 49![Debris from a swollen creek blocks Via Real in Carpinteria.]()
35 of 49![An arial view of Montecito.]()
36 of 49![LAPD closes La Tuna Canyon road in Sun Valley neighborhood]()
37 of 49![Firefighters respond to a mud and debris flow due to]()
38 of 49![Carpinteria resident Jeff Gallup carries his bike through]()
39 of 49![A bulldozer operator begins to clear a car trapped]()
40 of 49![Mud and water covers U.S. 101 freeway with runoff water]()
41 of 49![A rescue team removes their boat after a swift water]()
42 of 49![A CalTrans worker clears mud away from a car that was]()
43 of 49![Los Angeles Fire Department Firefighters work to clear]()
44 of 49![Los Angeles Fire Department Firefighters work to clear]()
45 of 49![Reilly, a Santa Barbara County Fire search dog, looks]()
46 of 49![Los Angeles Fire Department Firefighters work to clear]()
47 of 49![Santa Barbara County Firefighters rescue a 14-year-old]()
48 of 49![Santa Barbara County Firefighters rescue two men and]()
49 of 49
At a Red Cross shelter on Thursday night, evacuee Hannah Troy petted her two dogs, Lu and Gabriel, and recounted how firefighters carried them to safety through the muck. Troy said her cottage was probably ok, but at least three of her family’s cars were flooded, filled with debris or carried away - and likely some combination of all three.
“The mud just...” she said, her voice trailing off. “It was like a freeway of mud. It took out hedges and trees. And our cars. Oh, our cars.”
Red Cross officials said about 30 people stayed on cots at the shelter in Santa Barbara on Wednesday night and there was plenty of space remaining for Thursday evening as needed.
As night fell, the sounds of chainsaws and heavy equipment filled the air, which hung heavy over the town with a smell of ash mixed with mud. Snapped power poles blocked some street, and authorities were still struggling to figure out how to clear Highway 101, a portion of which still resembles a river rather than a road.
Montecito is home to many Hollywood stars, and they were feeling the pain. Jeff Bridges tweeted that his home was "severely damaged" but that his family was safe. He joined the chorus of gratitude for the tireless work of first responders.
"We are heartbroken over the loss of lives in our community," Bridges tweeted. "Your prayers and best wishes are most appreciated."
Oprah Winfrey, speaking on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, said while walking around she saw some of her neighbors homes were "gutted," while others are "gone, just gone."
She said as her house was positioned on a knoll, she felt secure and that despite being informed she wouldn't have water or gas, she feels grateful.
"I am blessed and I am going to do whatever I can for the rest of the community," she said, "and we all just love the firefighters."
Bacon reported from McLean, Va. Contributing: Trevor Hughes and Erin Jensen, USA TODAY; The Associated Press
Hundreds of rescue workers slogged through knee-deep ooze and used long poles to probe for bodies Thursday as the search dragged on for victims of the mudslides that slammed this wealthy coastal town. (Jan. 11) AP
Southern California crews are cleaning debris left by the devastating storm on Tuesday. Residents in the area are returning to their homes to find anything salvageable. The mudslides caused by the storm have killed 17 and 8 remain missing. (Jan. 11) AP
Amazing video shows car sliding down a hill in Burbank, California. The car was propelled by the deadly mudslides that have effected Southern California. USA
Whether you're young, old, rich or poor, natural disasters don't discriminate. Even Oprah is faced with devastation in the aftermath of the deadly Montecito mudslides that claimed the lives of at least 15 people. USA TODAY
The California coastal community hit hard by this week's deadly mudslides is known as home to many celebrities. Among the most noted is Oprah Winfrey who posted a video of herself outside her Montecito mansion wading through near-knee deep mud. (Jan. 11) AP
Flash-floods flattened at least 100 houses, killed at least 17 people and had hundreds more fleeing for their lives. (Jan. 10) AP
Authorities now say 17 people have died in Southern California mudslides and another 13 are missing. Three people were rescued Wednesday and authorities say about 75 percent of the devastated area has been searched. (Jan. 10) AP
A mudslide has transformed a portion of Montecito into something resembling a post-apocalyptic movie. JUAN CARLO/THE STAR
California authorities say 100 single-family homes were destroyed in the flash-floods that struck the coastal enclave of Montecito and adjacent areas of Santa Barbara County. (Jan. 10) AP
US Coast Guard video shows more helicopter rescues from the southern California mudslides. A man, a girl and a dog were plucked from the roof of their home on Tuesday. A separate helicopter evacuated eight people and five dogs from Montecito. (Jan. 11) AP
A mudslide has swept through coastal area northwest of Los Angeles. Santa Barbara County authorities are now trying to find the injured or trapped people after a powerful mud flow swept away dozens of homes. USA TODAY
The death toll from the powerful debris flows that hit the Southern California community of Montecito has risen to 15. The storm that slammed the California coastal community is over. The search for victims continues. (Jan. 10) AP
The death toll from the mudslides that struck Southern California climbed to 15 today as rescue crews continue to search for anyone trapped, injured or dead in the onslaught. (Jan. 10) AP
Just two days following her Golden Globes speech, Oprah Winfrey’s home has been impacted by the deadly mudslides in Santa Barbara, California. Veuer's Natasha Abellard (@NatashaAbellard) has the story. Buzz60
At least six people were killed and homes were ripped from their foundations Tuesday as downpours sent mud and boulders roaring down hills stripped of vegetation by a gigantic wildfire that raged in Southern California last month. (Jan. 9) AP
A powerful storm hit Southern California, deluging hills and mountains burned bare last month by the largest wildfire in recorded California history. Torrents roared through neighborhoods in Montecito, sweeping some homes away entirely. (Jan. 9) AP
Helicopters plucked dozens from rooftops in Southern California after mudslides in wildfire-scorched areas swept away or damaged homes. A family of five and their two dogs were rescued in Santa Barbara County. At least 13 people are dead. (Jan. 10) AP
Many homes near Santa Barbara, California were completely swept away by mudslides on Tuesday. (Jan. 9) AP
Flooding and mudslides triggered by heavy rains swept away homes in Southern California. USA TODAY
Evacuations have been ordered for communities below hillsides charred by California's largest-ever wildfire as the first major winter storm of the season brings rare rain and possible mudslides. AP
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