montecito debris flow

Hundreds came out to Westmont College to remember the second anniversary of the Montecito debris flow disaster.

The disaster on January 9, 2018, claimed 23 lives and destroyed more than 150 homes.

It was a day no one who lived through it will ever forget.  Water, mud and debris rolled through Santa Barbara County’s foothills, killing 23 people, injuring more than 160, and destroying or damaging hundreds of homes. It was four in the morning on January 9th, 2018. The still burning Thomas brush fire had stripped the mountains above Montecito bare, and heavy rain sent the torrent streaming through the community.

A candlelight ceremony is planned to commemorate the anniversary of a tragedy which killed 23 people, injured dozens more, and displaced hundreds of Santa Barbara County residents. Thursday marks the second anniversary of the deadly Montecito debris flow.

Last week was the first major test of the rainfall season for many of the burn areas on the Central and South Coasts.  The good news was that there were no major problems, with the exception of the flooding of an RV park in Ventura County.

Many of those who died in the 1/9 debris flow in 2018 in what were labeled voluntary evacuation areas. Public safety officials have changed evacuation protocols in Santa Barbara County to make them easier to understand, and to keep people safe.

One year after the deadly and destructive Montecito Mudflow, a special memorial event will take place tonight.

The gathering begins at 6:30 p.m. at Manning Park on San Ysidro Road.

This week marks the one year anniversary of the deadly 1/9 debris flow in Montecito which killed 23 people, injured more than 150, and destroyed or damaged hundreds of homes and businesses. With concern high that this year could bring more destructive debris flows, some residents formed a non-profit group which is trying to stand up to Mother Nature.

A year ago this week, the Thomas Fire was in the process of burning its way through more than 280,000 acres of land in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. The blaze had already done much of its damage in Ventura County, and was pushing into Santa Barbara County. The concern now is a different one: potential flash flooding and debris flows.