2018 — Jan 9, Heavy rain; Mudslides/debris flows (after forest fires), Montecito, CA — 23

–23  Blanchard tally of 21 identified dead and two missing (see list of fatalities below).

–21  NBC News. “Body of mother found…Cal. mudslide, death toll rises to 21.” 1-20-2018.[1]

–20  Reuters. “Twenty dead as search for California mudslide survivors grinds on.” 1-14-2018.

 

Narrative Information

 

Jan 9, 4:41 PM: “At least eight people were killed Tuesday when a rainstorm sent mud and debris coursing through Montecito neighborhoods and left rescue crews to scramble through clogged roadways and downed trees to search for victims. The deluge that washed over Santa Barbara County early Tuesday was the worst-case scenario for a community that was ravaged by the Thomas fire only a few weeks earlier. In just a matter of minutes, pounding rain overwhelmed the south-facing slopes above Montecito and flooded a creek that leads to the ocean, sending mud and massive boulders rolling into residential neighborhoods, according to Santa Barbara County Fire Department spokesman Mike Eliason….

 

“Eight people were killed and at least 25 were injured after a heavy band of rain struck around 2:30 a.m., causing “waist-high” mudflows, according to Kelly Hoover, a spokeswoman for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. She could not offer any specifics about the deceased, except that all eight had died in Montecito.” (Los Angeles Times. “At least 8 dead as heavy rains trigger flooding, mudflows and freeway closures in California.” 1-9-2018, 4:41 PM.)

 

Jan 9, 6:31 PM: “Santa Barbara County, Calif. — The Southern California wildfires have led to a new natural disaster, destroying the trees and shrubs that form a natural barrier against mudslides. Rapid-moving rivers of mud are now blamed for at least 13 deaths in Santa Barbara County homes were swept off their foundations. About 20,000 people have been ordered to evacuate. One by one, firefighters rescued victims from the muck and debris. They carried one teenage girl on a stretcher who had been trapped in her flooded home for hours. Survivors were driven to higher ground….

 

“On the normally busy 101 Freeway, up to 30 miles were shut down at one point. Some of the roadway was covered with debris and mud up to 3 feet deep. “I’m driving down the road 60 miles an hour and the mudslide comes out of nowhere, out of the bushes here, and it comes out 3-4 seconds and hits my car, pushes me over 3-4 feet, almost against the railing,” one resident said.

 

“Mud slides also wreaked havoc in the Los Angeles area. Cars were swept down a canyon in Burbank, where authorities were concerned a 100-year-old catch basin would unleash more debris….” (CBS News/Carter Evans. “Death toll rises in deadly California mudslides as dozens are rescued.” 1-9-2018.)

 

Jan 9, 7:10 PM (ECT): “At least 13 people were killed and Tuesday when a rainstorm sent mud and debris coursing through Montecito neighborhoods and left rescue crews to scramble through clogged roadways and downed trees to search for victims….In just a matter of minutes, pounding rain overwhelmed the south-facing slopes above Montecito and flooded a creek that leads to the ocean, sending mud and massive boulders rolling into residential neighborhoods… At least 25 other people were injured, authorities said at an afternoon press conference. Crews rescued 50 people by air and dozens more from the ground….

 

“The mudslide struck a section of the city that is south of the Thomas fire’s burn area and was not subject to a mandatory evacuation… Rescue personnel have yet to even make it north of Highway 192, which is closer to soil scorched by last month’s wildfire. Burned areas are less capable of absorbing water, making them even more susceptible to flooding and mudslides.

 

“Officials had no estimate on how many people could be trapped or how many homes were damaged. The search for survivors was still underway Tuesday afternoon, with many places inaccessible.

 

“The founder of St. Augustine Academy in Ventura was among those killed early Tuesday morning when a powerful mudslide swept him and his wife from their Montecito home. Roy Rohter was identified by officials at Thomas Aquinas College, from which his daughter graduated in 2000. His wife, Theresa, was rescued and is in stable condition, officials said….

 

“In the 300 block of Hot Springs Road, crews rescued six people and a dog after four homes were destroyed. The mud lifted one home off its foundation and carried it into trees, where it then collapsed… Firefighters used the jaws of life to cut their way into the home where a firefighter heard muffled cries for help from a 14-year-old girl, Eliason….

 

“Rescue personnel were also able to save a young boy who was swept more than half a mile south from his house after the building was lifted from its foundation in Montecito, authorities said. The boy was found alive under a U.S. 101 overpass, authorities said. But his father remains unaccounted for….

 

“On Hot Springs Road Tuesday afternoon, a dozen sheriff’s deputies carried a body on a gurney from a collapsed house as muddy water raced down the street. The deputies surrounded the body in silence for several moments before placing it gently into an emergency vehicle.

 

“The highest preliminary rainfall total appeared to register at roughly five inches in a gauge north of Ojai in Ventura County, in the burn area of the Thomas fire, which forced evacuations and destroyed homes last month, according to the National Weather Service in Los Angeles….

 

“The 101 Freeway was shut down in both directions for more than 30 miles in the Thomas fire burn area because of flooding and debris flow, spanning an area from Santa Barbara to Ventura, according to the California Highway Patrol. Sections of Routes 33 and 150 were also closed in Ventura County, according to the Sheriff’s Department. There was no estimate for when the roadway might reopen, a Caltrans spokesman said Tuesday afternoon….

 

“Santa Barbara County officials evacuated nearly 7,000 residents from foothill communities shortly before the heaviest surge hit the area…. About 3 a.m. …the storm became ferocious….

 

“In Los Angeles County, there was “mudslide activity” on Country Club Drive in Burbank, where police ordered evacuations of all homes east of Montana on Tuesday morning. The police department released footage of water surging across a roadway and urged people not to attempt to drive over it. Some vehicles were picked up and moved by the surge, and a few homes suffered minor damage, but no one had been injured as of 1 p.m., according to…a Burbank police spokesman….

 

“…an LAPD cruiser became mired in a debris flow on La Tuna Canyon Road, according to authorities. The officer was uninjured and walked out of the vehicle. The cruiser was in the process of being dug out of the mud with a backhoe early Tuesday….” (Los Angeles Times. “At least 13 dead as heavy rains trigger flooding, mudflows and freeway closures…” 1-9-2018.)

 

Jan 10: “Montecito, Calif… Anxious family members awaited word on loved ones Wednesday as rescue crews searched for two dozen people missing after mudslides in Southern California destroyed an estimated 100 houses, swept away cars and left at least 15 victims dead….

 

“People in Montecito, a wealthy enclave of about 9,000 people northwest of Los Angeles that is home to such celebrities as Oprah Winfrey, Rob Lowe and Ellen DeGeneres, had counted itself lucky last month after the biggest wildfire in California history spared the town. But it was the fire that led to the mudslide, by burning away vegetation.” (Associated Press. “Death toll hits 15 in California mudslides; 24 missing.” ABC News, 1-10-2018, 4:33 PM ET.)

 

Jan 10: “The death toll from massive debris flows that buried homes and cars under a torrent of mud and boulders rose to 17 in Montecito, where local personnel and the U.S. Coast Guard continued rescue operations Wednesday afternoon. About 300 people who were stuck in their homes in Montecito’s Romero Canyon neighborhood throughout the debris field were rescued Tuesday night. Authorities had said late Tuesday that residents were still stuck and that first responders planned to launch helicopter rescues at daybreak.

 

“The mudslides began around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, when intense rains dislodged boulders and caused heavy mudflow along hillsides that were scarred by the sprawling Thomas fire late last year. A number of homes were ripped from their foundations, with some pulled more than half a mile by water and mud before they broke apart….

 

“With much of the area still inaccessible, officials have said they fear the number of people killed in the mudslides could rise. [Notes 17 people reported missing.] ….

 

“At least 7,000 people have been evacuated from the area. As part of ongoing rescue efforts, a “public safety exclusion zone” has been established in Montecito….” (Los Angeles Times. “Death toll rises to 17 in Montecito; 100 homes destroyed by mudslides.” 1-10-2018, 4:50 PM.)

 

Jan 13: “On the fourth day of search for victims of the southern California mudslides, the death toll has increased. The Santa Barbara sheriff’s office reports that an 87-year-old victim was located in his Montecito, Calif. home, bringing the total number of casualties from to 18. At least 7 people, including a 2-year-old, remain missing. The victims’ ages ranged from 3 to 89 and the cause of death for all was “multiple traumatic injuries due to flash flood with mudslides due to recent wildfire,” according to the sheriff’s office….” (NPR. “California Mudslides Death Toll Rises to 18, Residents Told to Evacuate.” 1-13-2018.)

 

Jan 13: “As the death toll in the Montecito mudslides increased to 19 on Saturday, officials announced that the 101 Freeway would remain closed indefinitely. Search and rescue crews recovered the body of Morgan Corey, 25, who was found in debris near Olive Mill Road about 9 a.m. Saturday, officials said. She was among at least five people who were still listed as missing.” (Los Angeles Times (Louis Sahagun and Harriet Ryan). “Death toll in Montecito mudslide rises to 19, while 101 Freeway will remain closed indefinitely.” 1-13-2018.)

 

Jan 14: “…The death toll rose to 20 on Sunday with four people still missing… Another 900 emergency personnel arrived this weekend to join the relief effort conducted by more than 2,100 personnel from local, state and federal agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Navy and the American Red Cross….

 

“The destruction covered 30 square miles (78 square km), according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection…” (Reuters (Paula Lehman-Ewing). “Twenty dead as search for California mudslide survivors grinds on.” 1-14-2018.)

 

Jan 20: “Searchers looking for victims of a devastating mudslide that struck in the Montecito, California, area last week have found the body of a mother whose child was also killed in the disaster, the sheriff’s office said, bring the number of confirmed deaths to 21. The body later identified as that of Faviola Benitez Calderon, 28, of Montecito, was found at around 10 a.m. Saturday, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. Her 10-year-old son, Jonathan Benitez, that boy’s cousin Kailly Benitez, 3, and Kailly’s mother, 27-year-old Marilyn Ramos, were also killed in the mudslide and their bodies were previously found, the sheriff’s office said….

 

“Two people remain missing in the wake of the mudslide. They are old Lydia Sutthithepa, 2, and Jack Cantin, 17,[2] the sheriff’s office said. Crews are continuing to work to find them.” (NBC News. “Body of mother found after California mudslide, death toll rises to 21.” 1-20-2018.)

 

Fatalities[3]

 

  1. Faviola Benitez-Calderon, 28.
  2. Jonathan Benitez, 10 (son of Faviola).
  3. Kailly Benitez, 3 (cousin of Jonathan Benitez, daughter of Marilyn Ramos (also killed).
  4. Joseph Francis Bleckel, 87.                            Killed inside his Winding Creek Lane home.
  5. Martin Cabrera-Munoz, 48.
  6. David Cantin, 49.
  7. Jack Cantin, 17 (missing).
  8. Morgan Christine Corey, 25 (sister of Sawyer Corey). Home swept away.
  9. Sawyer Corey, 12 (sister of Morgan Corey).             Home swept away.
  10. Peter Fleurat, 73.                                                         Mudslide burst through home walls.
  11. Josephine “Josie” Gower, 69.                                     Swept away from home.
  12. John McManigal, 61.
  13. Alice Mitchell, 78 (wife of James Mitchell).
  14. James Mitchell, 89 (husband of Alice Mitchell).
  15. Mark Montgomery, 54 (father of Caroline).               Home hit by mudslide.
  16. Caroline Montgomery, 22 (daughter of Mark).          Home hit by mudslide.
  17. Marilyn Ramos, 27 (mother of Kailly Benitez, 3, who was also killed).
  18. Rebecca Riskin, 61.                                                    Swept away from home living room.
  19. Roy Rohter, 84.                                                           Swept away from his home.
  20. Lydia Sutthithepa, 2 (daughter of Pinit). Missing.     Mudslide hit E. Valley Road home.
  21. Peerawat Sutthithepa, 6.                                             Mudslide hit E. Valley Road home
  22. Pinit Sutthithepa, 30.                                                  Mudslide hit E. Valley Road home
  23. Richard Taylor, 67. (Father-in-law of Pinit Sutthithepa.)

 

Sources

 

ABC 7 Eyewitness News, Los Angeles. “Names of Montecito mudslide victims released.” 1-20-2018. Accessed 2-9-2018 at: http://abc7.com/names-of-montecito-victims-released/2930517/

 

Associated Press (Marcio Jose Sanchez and Amanda Lee Myers). “Death toll hits 15 in California mudslides; 24 missing.” ABC News, 1-10-2018, 4:33 PM ET. Accessed 1-10-2018 at: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/victim-search-expands-california-storm-mudslides-kill-13-52253716

 

CBS News (Carter Evans). “Death toll rises in deadly California mudslides as dozens are rescued.” 1-9-2018. Accessed 1-9-2018 at: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-mudslides-death-toll-rises-latest/

 

Los Angeles Times. (James Queally, Joseph Serna, Michael Livingston). “At least 8 dead as heavy rains trigger flooding, mudflows and freeway closures in California.” 1-9-2018, 4:41 PM. Accessed 1-9-2018 at: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-california-mudslide-deaths-20180109-story.html

 

Los Angeles Times. (James Queally, Joseph Serna, Michael Livingston). “At least 13 dead as heavy rains trigger flooding, mudflows and freeway closures across Southern California.” 1-9-2018, 4:10 PM. Accessed 1-9-2018 at: http://beta.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-rainfall-mudflow-20180109-story.html

 

Los Angeles Times (Louis Sahagun and Harriet Ryan). “Death toll in Montecito mudslide rises to 19, while 101 Freeway will remain closed indefinitely.” 1-13-2018. Accessed 1-14-2018 at: http://beta.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-montecito-mudsides-101-story.html

 

Los Angeles Times (James Queally, Melissa Etehad, Brittny Mejia). “Death toll rises to 17 in Montecito; 100 homes destroyed by mudslides.” 1-10-2018, 4:50 PM. Accessed 1-10-2018 at: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-montecito-storm-mudflow-20180110-htmlstory.html

 

National Public Radio. “California Mudslides Death Toll Rises to 18, Residents Told to Evacuate.” 1-13-2018. Accessed 1-13-2018 at: https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/01/13/577842311/california-mudslides-death-toll-rises-to-18-residents-told-to-evacuate

 

NBC News (Phil Helsel). “Body of mother found after California mudslide, death toll rises to 21.” 1-20-2018. Accessed 1-21-2018 at: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/body-mother-found-after-california-mudslide-death-toll-rises-21-n839546

 

Reuters (Paula Lehman-Ewing). “Twenty dead as search for California mudslide survivors grinds on.” 1-14-2018. Accessed 1-14-2018 at: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-california-mudslides/twenty-dead-as-search-for-california-mudslide-survivors-grinds-on-idUSKBN1F30DE

 

Santa Barbara edhat.com. “21st Victim Found and Identified in Montecito Mudslide.” 1-21-2018. Accessed 2-9-2018 at: https://www.edhat.com/news/21st-victim-found-and-identified-in-montecito-mudslide

 

Santa Barbara Noozhawk. “Obituaries. Dave Cantin of Montecito, 1968-2018,” 2-6-2018. Accessed 2-9-2018 at: https://www.noozhawk.com/article/dave_cantin_of_montecito_1968_2018

 

 

[1] Names two still missing (see below).

[2] Jack Cantin’s father, Dave Cantin, 49, was killed in the mudslides. (Santa Barbara Noozhawk. “Obituaries. Dave Cantin of Montecito, 1968-2018,” 2-6-2018.)

[3] All names, except the missing Jack Cantin, from: ABC 7 Eyewitness News, Los Angeles. “Names of Montecito mudslide victims released.” 1-20-2018. See, also, Santa Barbara edhat.com. “21st Victim Found and Identified in Montecito Mudslide.” 1-21-2018.