Montecito mudslide: At least 13 killed in 'waist-high' mudslide after powerful rainstorm in California

Tom Powell10 January 2018

At least 13 people have died in southern California after a powerful rainstorm triggered flash floods and heavy mudslides.

Thousands fled from their homes as “waist-deep” mudslides occurred in areas which had lost protective vegetation to last month’s wildfires.

Emergency workers, using search dogs and helicopters, rescued dozens of people stranded in rubble. At least 25 people were injured.

Among those rescued was a teenage girl who had been trapped inside her house for hours. Photos posted by the fire department showed her covered in black mud and being led away from the rubble of a house that had been destroyed.

Montecito Mudslides in California - In pictures

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The death toll marked the largest single-day loss of life during a California mudslide since January 2005.

Television personality Ellen DeGeneres, who owns a home in the upscale community of Montecito, posted a photo on Twitter of a roadway choked with mud and brown water.

"This is not a river," DeGeneres wrote on Twitter. "This is the 101 freeway in my neighbourhood right now. Montecito needs your love and support."

Oprah Winfrey also said she is praying for the people of Santa Barbara after southern California was hit by deadly mudslides.

The television host, who triggered fevered speculation she will run for president following a rousing speech at the Golden Globes, wrote on Instagram: "What a day! Praying for our community again in Santa Barbara... Helicopters rescuing my neighbors. Looking for missing persons. 13 lives lost."

Roads and railways were blocked by the mudslide (REUTERS)
Reuters

The county set up an evacuation shelter at Santa Barbara City College and also gave residents a place to take their animals.

Last month's wildfires, the largest in California history, left the area vulnerable to mudslides.

The fires burned away grass and shrubs that hold the soil in place and also baked a waxy layer into the earth that prevents water from sinking deeply into the ground.

The overnight rains forced road closures, including a 30-mile stretch of US Highway 101.

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