California Mudslides: 20th Victim Found Sunday

MONTECITO, CA -- As rescuers found another body Sunday in Montecito, a community torn by wildfires and mudslides in one month, the sheriff asked the public for prayers. Officials have not yet identified the 20th person to be killed by the mudslides.

On Saturday, Morgan Christine Corey, 25, was pulled from the wreckage created by the mudslides that washed through the coastal California community after rain poured in the area on Tuesday. Corey's sister, 12-year-old Sawyer, was found dead earlier in the week.

As of Sunday morning, four people were still reported missing.

"We are saddened once again that another victim who perished in this tragic incident was found," Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said. "We asked that you keep this devastated family in your thoughts and prayers, and join us in extending our deepest condolences to them."

Mandatory evacuations in Montecito remained in place as more than 2,100 personnel and 39 K-9s searched for more victims in the debris and mud, and worked to restore water and power. Evacuations in nearby communities, Summerland and Carpinteria, were lifted.

"We are still actively searching for people and while every hour it remains less likely that we will find someone alive, there is always hope," Brown said at a Saturday afternoon press conference.

The Los Angeles Times reported that Caltrans workers on Saturday focused on clearing the area of water.

"In a section of the road near Olive Mill Road — one of the lowest points in the city — there was 2 feet of standing water and storm drains were clogged," the Times reported. "Once all the mud and debris is removed, the pavement and overpasses must be evaluated for structural safety, and then signs and guardrails reinstalled and lines repainted."

The mudslide buried the 101 Freeway, a popular road for southern California motorists, but it was unclear when it would be open again.

Despite the efforts to work as quickly as possible to restore the community, personnel will join the community on Sunday evening to hold a candlelight vigil for the lives loss, Brown said.

--Photo: Debris and mud cover the street in front of local area shops after heavy rain brought flash flooding on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018 in Montecito, Calif. At least five people were killed and homes were swept from their foundations Tuesday as heavy rain sent mud and boulders sliding down hills stripped of vegetation by a gigantic wildfire that raged in Southern California last month. (Daniel Dreifuss)

Also See:

CA Mudslides: Death Toll Up, More Rain Possible

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