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First Responders Search For Survivors After Deadly California Mudslides

January 14, 2018 13:32·
Search Efforts Continue After California Mudslides Killed At Least 15

Search Efforts Continue After California Mudslides Killed At Least 15

A founder of a Catholic school in Ventura is among the fatalities caused by mudslides in Southern California, which have left at least 17 people dead and many others missing or injured in Montecito.

Santa Barbara fire Captain Gary Pitney said the likelihood is increasing that rescue crews will be finding bodies instead of survivors at this point. Her 12-year-old sister, Sawyer, had been found dead earlier.

A GoFundMe page has been created to support Lauren and her family. Reportedly, over 500 first responders and 10 dogs were on the scene searching for missing people.

At a destroyed residence where mud-caked 14-year-old Lauren Cantin was rescued Tuesday hours after the early morning disaster hit, fire crews moved pieces of the roof, wood and concrete by hand as they looked for any sign of her missing 17-year-old brother.

And because of the fire, communities below the scarred terrain could remain at risk of mudslides for years, said Randall Jibson, a research geologist with the US Geological Survey.

"I told her to stay on the second floor, but she went downstairs and opened the door and just got swept away", Hayden Gower said. "Five minutes later, (I) heard (a) loud whish sound".

Controversy over the use of wireless emergency alerts during disasters emerged in California in October when a wildfire ripped through Sonoma County, killing 40 people. It includes four individuals from San Diego Fire-Rescue Department: a task force leader, search team manager, logistics manager and two canine search specialists.

Geologists and forecasters warned that intense rain could trigger deadly mudslides from the scorched areas. Shortly, he would be moving furniture around to keep the mud from getting into his home.

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The deluge - which struck Montecito after powerful rainstorms - overturned cars, uprooted trees and sent boulders crashing into homes in the valley below. Rivers of mud and boulders have flooded neighborhoods in and around the town of Montecito.

Oprah Winfrey, who lives in the stricken area, told Ellen DeGeneres on her show Thursday that while walking the neighborhood she saw some of her neighbors homes were "gutted", while others were "gone, just gone".

"We would have evacuated", she said.

Sheriff Bill Brown gave the larger number Thursday but cautioned that many or most of those people may simply have been unreachable to the family and friends who reported they couldn't find them.

Mr Farrell then runs inside - and not a moment too soon.

The muddy water was not slowly leaking into homes like rainfall does - it came in slamming.

He said on Facebook that 4 feet 9 inches of "raging mud" filled their home and that his auto was swept away. "We're affected here in Carpinteria in the sense that we're taking these people in and a lot of people are out of work because they can't travel".

The mud and debris overwhelmed many homes and wiped some of them out. "To get people here takes time and we're finally getting that request for influx".

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