Death toll in California mudslides increases to 20
nearby towns. At a church ity to clear out debris basins in Santa Barbara, they carand creek canals before ried flowers, lit candles and another rainstorm. LongMONTECITO, CALIF. — Parishprayed for the families who range forecasts gave the ioners prayed on Sunday for have lost loved ones. crews about a week before those killed and for families “Our whole community is the next chance of rain — still searching for missing reldevastated,” Hannah Miller and potential new mudatives in a Southern Califor- said at the Trinity Episcopal slides — although the prenia community ravaged by Church. “There isn’t anyone cipitation was expected to mudslides, and authorities who doesn’t know someone be disorganized and light. announced another body who has been affected by this Another system was possihad been found, increasing disaster. It is truly awful. We ble two days later. the death toll to 20. can just pray they find those “If we don’t get those
The body of 30-year-old poor missing people.” debris basins cleaned out, Pinit Sutthithepa was disIn the disaster area, fire- then we’re not going to be covered Saturday after- fighters went from door to prepared for the storm and noon. His 2-year-old daugh- door to check the structural we don’t know what that ter, Lydia, remained miss- stability of the houses dam- storm is going to look like,” ing. His 6-year-old son, Peer- aged by a powerful rainstorm said Robert Lewin, Santa Barawat, nicknamed Pasta, and that preceded the mudslides, bara County’s emergency his 79-year-old father-in-law, and scoured what’s left of management director. Richard Loring Taylor, also homes and cars as they The mudslides on Jan. 9 were killed in the mudslides. searched for the missing. ravaged the tony community,
The list of those still missThe storm sent flash floods destroying at least 65 homes ing has shrunk to four. cascading through moun- and damaging more than 460
Because most churches in tain slopes that were burned others, officials said. Montecito are in an evacu- bare by a huge wildfire in The rest of the communiation area, many worship- December. ty’s infrastructure also was pers attended services in Crews have made it a prior- damaged.