LOS ANGELES – Heavy rains were triggering dangerous flooding Tuesday morning in Southern California, with rivers of mud and debris destroying at least three homes and pooling water forcing police to close parts of the coastal US Route 101, officials said.
Near the coastal community of Montecito, at least three homes have been "wiped away by mudflow and debris," and emergency workers were scrambling to rescue people from vehicles and buildings, Santa Barbara County fire spokesman Mike Eliason said.
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The heavy rain was falling in areas charred by recent wildfires, triggering fears of flash flooding and mudslides because vegetation that otherwise would hold hills together and make the terrain flood-resistant have burned away.
Thousands of people in Southern California were under evacuation orders because of flooding and mudslide fears, including in Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties.
Flooding near La Conchita has prompted the closure of parts of US Route 101 in Ventura County, the sheriff's office there said Tuesday morning.
Rain unleashes risk of mudslides in fire-ravaged California
Storms brought rain to California on Monday and increased the risk of mudslides in fire-ravaged communities, driving property owners to stack sandbags in devastated northern wine country areas and leading authorities to order evacuations for Southern California neighborhoods below hillsides burned by the state’s largest wildfire in history.
Forecasters issued a flash flood watch for parts for Sonoma and Mendocino counties north of San Francisco, warning that heavy rainfall could trigger mudslides in areas devastated by October wildfires. More than an inch had fallen by Monday night in Santa Rosa, the city that suffered the biggest losses in the fires.
The blazes leveled entire neighborhoods, killing 44 people and destroying more than 8,900 homes and other buildings.
“City crews are actively driving around looking for signs of any flooding, mudslides, things of that nature. They are making sure water is flowing, making sure debris clogging storm drains or gutters is cleared up,” said Santa Rosa Assistant Fire Marshal Paul Lowenthal, who encouraged residents near burned areas to have evacuation plans in case they need to flee.
“The fire damaged a significant amount of trees and although a lot of the trees have been cut down and removed, there are still a lot of trees that could be a concern,” he said.