ALBAWABA - At least 19 were killed and thousands more became homeless in floods that forced evacuations as heavy rains swept across the west coast in the United States, according to media reports.
Residents of the village of Montecito, which is 135 miles (84 km) northwest of Los Angeles, claimed that the rain makes their trauma worse.
Many are concerned about the recurrence of a mudslide that killed 23 people in the same area in 2018.
#prayforcali #northerncali #californiaflood #Californiaflooding #Californiastorm MY HOME FOREVER ??? pic.twitter.com/hrJPsSm9MJ
— Ayans fashions (@9erchic4life) January 11, 2023
Rita Bourbon believed that the Italian stonemasons saved her life. Her home was built more than a century ago by skilled workers to make it feel like a fortress.
Fire officials issued a "Leave Now!" warning to the whole neighborhood, which includes some of California's most well-known inhabitants, such as Oprah Winfrey, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle.
The warning came as the Montecito stream once more turned into a violent, rushing torrent.
Despite the lifting of the evacuation order, residents in Montecito are still on edge. Additionally, the potential of flooding and landslides is significant, given that a big area there is already wet.
The Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade, established in 2018 to organize volunteers to clean up after the tragic mudslide, was co-founded by Abe Powell.
This week, Powell guided volunteers as they dug trenches and filled sandbags throughout the neighborhood. He also led them on a journey up a winding mountain road where some dwellings were barred by enormous stones and muck.
Severe weather continues to slam the West, 26 million people are under flood watch as a new atmospheric river engulfs California. Faith Abubey reports Interstate 80 at California- Nevada border is now closed due to low visibility and whiteout conditions. pic.twitter.com/pKRg1yPzSy
— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) January 15, 2023
He remarked, surveying the new boulders, "We don't want to hang around here."
Steve McGlothen, a producer of movies, is one of the volunteers. He spent 27 years in his cliff-top home and half a century in the neighborhood.
California Governor Gavin Newsom participated in the Santa Barbara sandbag filling with volunteers.
"We've seen almost 24 trillion gallons of water rain on this state in the last 16 days in the middle of a massive drought," he said in comments carried by the BBC. He said California must rethink how it controls water.
