Mudslide-stricken California town is all but emptied out

Phillip Harnsberger crosses through mud from a flooded creek on Sheffield Drive in Montecito Calif

Phillip Harnsberger crosses through mud from a flooded creek on Sheffield Drive in Montecito Calif

Dozens of homes were swept away or heavily damaged and several people were killed Tuesday, Jan. 9, as downpours sent mud and boulders roaring down hills stripped of vegetation by a the very big Thomas wildfire that raged in Southern California last month.

Although it is becoming increasingly unlikely that anyone else will be found alive, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said some people had been rescued as late as Thursday (11 January). Morgan's younger sister Sawyer was previously also found dead.

"I mean you're losing all your basic health and sanitation services", she said.

It is believed that seven people aged between two and 30 are still missing and more than 1,200 rescuers have been drafted in to search the mud in Montecito, which is up to 15ft deep in some areas. While this list often fluctuates as new information is obtained, here is a current list of people reported missing that are considered active investigations.

The area, northwest of Los Angeles, is home to many celebrities and other wealthy Californians who relish the seclusion and relative proximity to the city.

"We have to do whatever it takes", said Capt. Tom Henzgen, leader of a team from the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Weather is good, but forecasters say there's a slight chance of light rain by next Friday. Another system was possible two days later. But Tom Fayram, the deputy director of the county's flood control district, said the crews were making great progress and he was confident that at least a base level of water would be able to pass through the creek channels.

The mudslide areas are under mandatory evacuation orders for at least a week, but the sheriff has cautioned residents to plan to be away for a full two weeks.

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The evacuation order for areas east of Toro Canyon Road and north of Highway 192 will be lifted, according to Cal Fire. They include a couple who fell in love with their Montecito community, a family of Mexican immigrants and a college student and her dad, a doctor.

The California Department of Transportation abandoned hopes of reopening the highway on Monday and said it was not known when the closure would be lifted.

Orange markings left on doors indicated which homes had already been searched.

The affluent coastal town of Montecito was hit especially hard.

Within an hour, they said they had made a clerical error and the actual number of missing was eight.

"This house is across the street now so we have to search these piles where people could've potentially floated into", he said. "It looks like the place just got bombed", U.S. Congressman Salud Carbajal, a Democrat representing Santa Barbara County, told Reuters while visiting the site on Friday.

The drenching rains that unleashed such death and destruction was responsible for containing the largest wildfire in state history.

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