GO NOW

California Residents in Burn Zones Flee Mudslide Threat After Pacific Storms

Last year a mudslide killed 21 people.

Residents of hundreds of homes in burn areas from last year’s California wildfires have been told to flee once again as a Pacific storm threatened to trigger lethal mudslides in its wake. Mandatory evacuations were ordered Monday for a dozen areas around the Holy Fire, which devastated large parts of the Cleveland National Forest last August. “People in these zones MUST GO NOW. Rainstorms carry the potential for dangerous debris flows that can send mud, boulders and trees crashing down hillsides” with no warning, a Riverside County statement said. In Santa Barbara County, evacuation orders were set to take effect Tuesday morning, with a county statement saying: “Gather family members, pets, and essential items.” Roads could be blocked and leave people near evacuation areas stranded, the county warned. Forecasters say a series of storms could continue to bring rain and snow into the middle of the week, with flash-flood warnings issued for burn areas in Los Angeles, Ventura, and Santa Barbara.

OUT OF CONTROL

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Victoria Bekiempis