Search for survivors of mudslides goes on as death toll increases to 19
THE death toll from the mudslides in California has risen to 19.
The body of Morgan Corey, 25, was found in mud and debris in Montecito, said Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown. Her 12-yearold sister, Sawyer, had been found dead earlier.
Another person who had been on the list of missing, 62-year-old Delbert Weltzin, was found alive and well. The two developments reduced the number of missing from seven to five.
The army of searchers and recovery workers in Montecito swelled to more than 2,000 five days after a powerful storm swept in from the Pacific and dumped a deluge on mountain slopes above the coastal enclave that were burned bare by a huge wildfire in December.
The backbreaking work went on in the summerlike weather that has made the of Santa Barbara County coast about 90 miles northwest of Los Angeles a haven for the wealthy, celebrities and tourists.
Much of the community of about 9,000 remained under mandatory evacuation orders, even unscathed areas, as crews both removed debris and worked to restore water, sanitation, power and gas.
Tanker trucks sucked muddy water from flooded sections of US 101, the only direct major artery between Los Angeles and the Santa Barbara region.
The California Department of Transportation abandoned an estimate of reopening the highway today . Amtrak, which began restoring rail service two days after the flood, was adding carriages to trains because of heavy demand.