United States: Landslides leave 13 dead in Santa Barbara county Jan. 9 /update 2

Event

Heavy rainfall in Southern California has caused flooding and landslides in Santa Barbara county, leaving at least 13 people dead and at least 25 others injured as of the evening of Tuesday, January 9 (local time). Among the areas most affected by the flooding and landslides are Montecito - from where all 13 deaths have been reported thus far - and Carpinteria. Local authorities rescued some 50 people from Montecito on Tuesday, and are still searching the area for missing persons. The death toll is expected to rise in the coming hours as search-and-rescue operations continue.

As of Tuesday evening, parts of Highway 101 remain closed between Ventura (from the junction of Highway 101 and State Route 126) and the city of Santa Barbara (South Milpas Street) due to landslides. The affected parts of the highway are expected to remain closed until Thursday, January 11, according to the California Highway Patrol. Additional road closures and consequent transportation disruptions have been reported throughout Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Power outages have been reported in Montecito and adjacent areas; it is currently unclear when power will be restored in the affected areas. Mandatory evacuation orders were lifted on Tuesday in the Kagel Canyon, Lopez Canyon, and Little Tujunga Canyon areas (Los Angeles county); mandatory evacuation orders remain in place in Burbank as of Tuesday evening.

Rainfall is expected to abate in Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles counties late on Tuesday. Associated transportation disruptions and lingering power outages are expected in the coming hours and days as recovery efforts continue.

Context

Authorities in Santa Barbara county issued mandatory evacuation orders on January 8 for roughly 6000 people in the areas of Summerland, Montecito, Carpinteria, and the city of Goleta due to the risk of flooding and landslides. Additional mandatory and voluntary evacuations were issued in parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties on January 8. Such areas are located adjacent to the burn areas from a series of wildfires that affected Southern California between October and December 2017. Areas burned by the forest fires are vulnerable to flash flooding and landslides due to the inability of burned soil to absorb rainfall and the lack of living vegetation to prevent erosion.

Advice

Individuals in the affected areas of California are advised to monitor local weather forecasts, adhere to all instructions issued by the local authorities (e.g. evacuation orders), and anticipate significant localized transportation delays.

Keep in mind that driving or walking through running water can be dangerous - 15 cm (6 in) of running water is enough to knock over an adult.