Californians ordered to flee storm
LOS ANGELES: A storm soaking California could trigger mudslides in wildfire burn areas where thousands of residents are under evacuation orders, authorities warned.
Up to 10cm of rain is expected along the Central Coast, and amounts could be higher in areas where thunderstorms develop, the National Weather Service said.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff ’s Office ordered 3,000 residents to evacuate hillside neighbourhoods scarred by fires – including parts of Montecito hit by a disas- trous debris flow just over a year ago. Officials didn’t say how many people heeded the order.
Many customers pumping gas at Montecito’s Village Service Station on Tuesday said they’re not leaving, according to Ray Dunham, who works there.
“Nobody’s going into panic mode,” he said. “They think the threat is way over-exaggerated.”
Sheriff Bill Brown told reporters earlier this week that the system is expected to be more intense than the last several storms.
A map published by the county Office of Emergency Management indicates that much of Montecito is at risk.
“We do not take these evacuation orders lightly, and while we do know this is very inconvenient, if you are in an evacuation area, please know there is a high risk to life and property,” Brown said.
A January 2018 debris flow from the Thomas fire scar destroyed or damaged hundreds of Montecito structures, killed 21 people and left two others missing.