Residents of Montecito, California, were ordered to evacuate Monday as a storm battered the state, coinciding with the five-year anniversary of a major mudslide that killed 23 people in 2018.
Montecito, a small town of 8,200 located between the Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, is bracing for heavy rains that could bring mudslides and debris flows similar to the ones that wreaked havoc five years ago.
The National Weather Service reported that a low-pressure system rapidly gained strength off the West Coast and is barreling toward the state. The heavy rains are expected to worsen ongoing flooding and prolong the risk of flash flooding and mudslides across the state.
The community had planned a remembrance event to honor the lives lost on January 9, 2018, when mud and boulders the size of houses plowed down the Santa Barbara hillsides, splintering more than 100 homes and rupturing a gas main.
Montecito residents are urged to take the evacuation order seriously and to take all necessary precautions to ensure their safety. The National Weather Service is continuing to monitor the situation and will provide updates as the storm progresses.
Key takeaways:
- Residents of Montecito, California, were ordered to evacuate due to a storm.
- The storm is coinciding with the five-year anniversary of a major mudslide that killed 23 people in 2018.
- Montecito residents are urged to take the evacuation order seriously and to take all necessary precautions to ensure their safety.
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