The Great Smoky Mountain Journal
Staff, Wire Reports
Posted: Tuesday, January 01, 2019 02:20 PM
Heavy Rains, Mudslides Kill At Least 15 People And Threaten Hollywood Homes
The heavy rains that spawned mudslides
in Southern California on Tuesday ─ killing at least 15 people ─ left a
path of destruction in a wealthy enclave that's home to celebrities
including Oprah Winfrey, Rob Lowe and Ellen DeGeneres.
Most deaths were believed to have occurred in Montecito, Santa Barbara
County spokesman David Villalobos said. The town of about 9,000 people
northwest of Los Angeles sustained heavy damage after mudslides slammed
into homes, covered highways and swept away vehicles.
Television mogul Winfrey's home survived the rainstorm and ensuing
mudslides. In a post on Instagram, she shared photos of the deep mud in
her backyard and video of rescue helicopters hovering over her house.
"What a day! Praying for our community
again in Santa Barbara. Woke up to this blazing gas fire. then swipe
left to see how deep the mud is in my backyard," she wrote. "Helicopters
rescuing my neighbors. Looking for missing persons. 13 lives lost.
#Mudslides."
In a separate Instagram post, Winfrey was seen describing some of the
damage to her property.
"What a
day! Praying for our community again in Santa Barbara. Woke up to this
blazing gas fire. then swipe left to see how deep the mud is in my
backyard," she wrote. "Helicopters rescuing my neighbors. Looking for
missing persons. 13 lives lost. #Mudslides."
In a separate Instagram post, Winfrey was seen describing some of the
damage to her property.
"Praying
for the survivors and preparing for whatever may come. #Montecito," he
wrote.
Rob Lowe
✔
@RobLowe
Praying for all our friends and neighbors. Very bad situation in
Montecito.
Rob Lowe
✔
@RobLowe
Mourning the dead in our little town tonight. Praying for the survivors
and preparing for whatever may come. #Montecito
He also referenced Winfrey's home nearby in another post, addressing recent speculation that she might run for president in 2020 after her much-talked-about speech at the Golden Globe Awards.
"Media talking about
@OPRAH “maybe” running for President in 3 years. Meanwhile, AS WE SPEAK,
her Montecito home’s a staging ground for helicopter rescues.
Priorities? Anyone?" he wrote on Twitter.
Rob Lowe
✔
@RobLowe
Media talking about @OPRAH “maybe” running for President in 3 years.
Meanwhile, AS WE SPEAK, her Montecito home’s a staging ground for
helicopter rescues. Priorities? Anyone?
Talk show host DeGeneres shared a picture on Twitter of the flooding on
the 101 freeway in Montecito, writing: "This is not a river. This is the
101 freeway in my neighborhood right now. Montecito needs your love and
support."
The deadly mudslides
also affected the hometown of models Bella and Gigi Hadid, who said in
separate posts on Twitter and Instagram they "really can't believe it"
and urged followers to "keep the families of Santa Barbara in your
thoughts and prayers."
Ellen DeGeneres
✔
@TheEllenShow
I’ve love being part of the Montecito community. I send love to all the
families and the amazing rescue workers braving these mudslides.
The mudslides are the result of a powerful rainstorm that hit the
state’s southern region on Monday, sending mud and leftover debris down
hillsides that were burned by the Thomas Fire.
The Thomas Fire, which is technically still burning, is the largest
wildfire California has seen since detailed record-keeping began in the
1930s. It began on Dec. 4.
Officials said that at least 21,000 people have been evacuated as a
result of the mudslides, the Associated Press reported. The evacuations
were ordered because the mudslides threatened the communities beneath
the foothills.