Rescuers still finding people trapped in mud
THE death toll from devastating mudslides that surged through a wealthy neighbourhood in California stood at 17 yesterday, with dozens missing.
Just weeks after raging wildfires forced them to leave their homes, residents of the area to the east of Santa Barbara were being urged to leave after a deluge of mud, ash and boulders were unleashed by a ferocious storm.
One rescue worker who thought he was picking up a “muddy doll” from the debris discovered it was actually a toddler.
The girl, 2, was taken to hospital with a hip injury.
Celebrities who have
properties in the area have also been affected.
Oprah Winfrey’s $50 million home was damaged but survived the onslaught.
She told her Instagram followers: “Thanks everyone for your prayers and
concern. My property is fine. Some mud, and minor damage that pales in comparison to what my neighbors are going thru. #mudslides.”
The death toll climbed as emergency workers pulled bodies from the river of knee-deep debris that descended on the community of Montecito and the surrounding Romero Canyon area after a torrent of rain earlier in the week.
Boulders as big as cars were seen rolling down hillsides during the deluge. Homes and historic hotels were battered or swept away altogether.
Hillside vegetation that would have ordinarily impeded the mud had been stripped away during the wildfires last month.
More than 100 homes were destroyed and 300 damaged. Residents have been advised to boil water.