Mudslides kill 15, injure 25 in fire-ravaged California

Many victims did not heed mandatory evacuation orders.

Rain-triggered mudslides have killed 15 people and injured dozens of others in fire-ravaged California. The town of Montecito appears hardest-hit, with many homes and businesses destroyed by the mud. Authorities are still searching for victims. 

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) - The first major storm of winter has hit Southern California and caused mudslides in regions made vulnerable by the Thomas fire, the largest wildfire in state history. At least 15 people are dead and 25 others injured. The toll may rise. The threat of mudslides persists. 

The picturesque region is widely known as the American Rivera for its mild climate and gorgeous beaches. It is about 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles, far enough away from the bustle of the city to make it a haven for celebrities and the wealthy. It is a popular tourist destination, lined with resorts.

The Thomas fire swept across the mountains above Santa Barbara and its neighboring communities in December. The fire is still burning in remote areas but is mostly contained. Meanwhile, the denuded landscape is vulnerable to mudslides. Without vegetation to hold the soil in place, rain can displace massive quantities of dirt and rock. 

Knowing this, about 21,000 people were ordered to evacuate as heavy rain started to fall on the mountains above Santa Barbara and Ventura. However, only about ten to fifteen percent of people in the evacuation zones heeded the warnings. As a result, many are now dead. Many more are trapped, unable to evacuate due to roads that are blocked or washed out. Helicopter rescues are still underway. 

Blocked roads also have many people trapped in areas not subject to evacuation orders. Those people are also being rescued. 

Hardest hit was Montecito, just east of Santa Barbara. The area experienced exceptionally heavy rain, which guaranteed disaster on early Tuesday morning. Among the dead was Roy Rohter, a Catholic educator who founded the St. Augustine Academy. His wife survived the mudslide with injuries. Rohter was a generous benefactor of the nearby St. Thomas Aquinas College, and he was known for his tireless pro-life advocacy. The staff of Catholic Online is including him and all the victims of this tragedy in their intentions. 

At this time, the public should be warned that until vegetation grows on the mountains, rain brings danger via more mudslides. Evacuation orders, even voluntary evacuation requests are not issued lightly. Such orders are the product of experience and careful assessment. It is in the life-or-death interest of people to obey such orders. People who heed evacuation orders are never victims. 

Search and rescue operations are ongoing.