Mudslides make emotional impact
Rescue teams still searching amid cleanups as death toll hits 17
MONTECITO, Calif. – The numbers are horrific and just begin to tell the tale of tragedy unfolding in this quaint coastal hamlet overwhelmed by walls of debris, mud and water where rescue workers Thursday continued the onerous search for survivors.
Cal Fire puts the affected area at 30 square miles. Seventeen people dead, 28 injured, eight missing. Sixty-five homes confirmed destroyed and more than 400 damaged.
And rescue teams are still slogging through the mud, hunting for the missing and assessing the damage. Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, a Montecito resident ordered to evacuate before the mudslides began, discussed the tragedy Thursday on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
“There are families missing, there are people who are missing family members,” DeGeneres said. “They’re finding people and bodies and I mean, you hear the word mudslide and you have no idea the impact that it has ... (Montecito) is beyond recognizable.”
The tale is nothing new in Southern California. First came the fires, and the Thomas Fire last month in this area west of Los Angeles was the biggest ever recorded in the state.
The last embers were barely extinguished when the rains came. Residents of some communities were ordered out in advance as authorities feared the hillsides, left bare by the fire, would be swept down onto homes below.
Before dawn Tuesday, the worst fears were realized. By the time the rains moved on, dozens of boulders sat atop muddied tree branches on Olive Mill Road, where at least three homes were blasted to their foundations when the debris suddenly roared in.
Some residents watched as crews tried to clean up the area, still in disbelief. Marco Farrell, 45, said he was two blocks away when he saw the slide descending on Olive Mill Road.
“I heard rumbling and ran for my life,” he said. “Literally. Ran for my life.”
A wall of water carrying uprooted trees and boulders flowed like a river.
“It happened that quickly. It wasn’t a trickle,” said William Johnston, who lives in a retirement community down the street.
When it was over, residents waded through mud and water to get to their homes. Some had to hop onto the roof to get inside through an upstairs window. They were assisted by firefighters and search-and-rescue teams.
The sound of working construction equipment could be heard nearby as backhoes dug up the debris.
Montecito is home to many stars, and they were feeling the pain. Jeff Bridges tweeted that his home was “severely damaged” but that his family was safe.
“We are heartbroken over the loss of lives in our community,” Bridges tweet- ed. “Your prayers and best wishes are most appreciated.”
Oprah Winfrey, speaking on Ellen, said while walking around she saw some of her neighbors homes were “gutted,” while others are “gone, just gone.”
She said as her house was positioned on a knoll, she felt secure and that despite being informed she wouldn’t have water or gas, she feels grateful.
“I am blessed and I am going to do whatever I can for the rest of the community,” she said, “and we all just love the firefighters.”
Bacon reported from McLean, Va. Contributing: Erin Jensen, USA TODAY; The Associated Press
“I heard rumbling and ran for my life. Literally. Ran for my life.” Marco Farrell