More than 25 people were injured as mud, water, and debris flooded deluged neighborhoods in Santa Barbara County.
Mudslides killed at least 13 people on Tuesday in southern California, as heavy rain pounded a region recently devastated by the largest wildfire in state history.
Relentless rain and flooding brought mud and debris spilling onto roadways and neighborhoods in Montecito and Carpinteria, in Santa Barbara County, northwest of Los Angeles.
View from the air in Montecito. Areas that had been roadways, driveways, and homes, are now unrecognizable due to the large amount of mud and debris flows. http://pic.twitter.com/dbsUPw3mrL
— VenturaCoAirUnit (@VCAirUnit) January 9, 2018
Authorities in Santa Barbara County warned that the death toll could rise, as more people are feared trapped beneath the mud. At least 25 others were injured, and fire officials with the Santa Barbara County Fire Department told ABC News that they had conducted “dozens and dozens” of rescues.
“It’s going to be worse than anyone imagined for our area,” Santa Barbara County Fire Department spokesman Mike Eliason told the Los Angeles Times. “Following our fire, this is the worst-case scenario.”
Rescuers face difficulties because power lines, trees, and other debris have blocked roadways, and the US Coast Guard dispatched rescue helicopters, according to the New York Times. The mudslides and downpours forced the closure of major roadways, complicating response operations.
Storm Update: due to large amount of debris/mud/water, #Hwy101 thru #Montecito is expected to remain CLOSED until Thurs night, Jan. 11. Use #Hwy5 as detour to/from So Cal, avoid non-essential travel and get our QuickMap app for latest road conditions @CaltransDist7 @CaltransDist6 http://pic.twitter.com/mIOKEjKwE0
— Caltrans District 5 (@CaltransD5) January 10, 2018
Santa Barbara County had issued an evacuation order for about 7,000 residents, but many didn’t heed the warning.
Experts worried about mudslides in the aftermath of the Thomas fire, which incinerated more than 280,000 acres in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. That left land scorched, and the soil unable to absorb large amounts of water -- making it vulnerable to the type of mudslides that engulfed the region on Tuesday.
#CAstorm- The main line of the Union Pacific Railroad through Montecito is blocked with mudflow and debris due to heavy rains. http://pic.twitter.com/m8TbKtyxAa
— SBCFireInfo (@EliasonMike) January 9, 2018
The downpours began after midnight on Tuesday, and continued throughout the day, in some instances falling as swiftly as an inch per hour, reports the New York Times. Local rainfall amounts varied, but according to the National Weather Service, the isolated areas in the mountains and foothills of hard-hit Santa Barbara County saw as much as four inches of rain; the coastal areas recorded as much three inches as of Tuesday afternoon local time.
#CAstorm- Damaged vehicles carried by mud flow and debris at the exit of the parking garage to The Montecito Inn at the corner of Olive Mill and Coast Village Road. http://pic.twitter.com/5hrHs0NLhw
— SBCFireInfo (@EliasonMike) January 9, 2018
Flash flood warnings were canceled in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties by 4 pm PT. The National Weather Service said showers will linger overnight -- but the worst of the rain in the region appears to be over.
Still, officials and residents alike have only begun to assess the scale of the damage in a state still recovering from a catastrophic disaster.
The United States estimated natural disasters added up to $306 billion in 2017, the costliest year on record. Much of that came from three destructive hurricanes —- Harvey, Irma, and Maria -- and the California wildfires, the aftermath of which is clearly far from over.
from Vox - All http://ift.tt/2EtPR7A
Breaking News: California mudslides kill at least 13 in region scorched by wildfires - News Paper
0 komentar:
Post a Comment