Death toll in California mudslides rises to 17

RESCUERS used dogs and helicopters to search for victims on Wednesday of powerful mudslides which left at least 17 people dead in a southern California community that is also home to major celebrities including Oprah Winfrey.

Heavy rains on Tuesday sent rivers of waist-high mud and debris flowing from the hills into Montecito and other towns in Santa Barbara County northwest of Los Angeles, which are still recovering from last month’s ferocious wildfires.

“We are saddened to report that the death toll has now risen to 17,” Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown told reporters, saying it had been “another extremely challenging day.”

At least 28 people were injured, authorities said, while 30,000 remained subject to mandatory evacuation orders.

The highest rainfall total was recorded at 13 centimetres in Ventura County, according to the National Weather Service.

Much of the affected area is land scorched by the massive Thomas fire several weeks ago, the second-largest wildfire in California’s history.

An evacuation order was issued in a section of the Los Angeles suburb of Burbank, which was hit by a mudslide that pulled cars out of driveways and carried them downstream.

The rain was lighter in the desert than in coastal areas, but the downpour shattered a January 9 Palm Springs record of 2.8 centimetres set in 1980, according to the weather service.

The rain had all but vanished by Tuesday evening.