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Mudslides wreaked havoc in Southern California Tuesday amid intense rainfall across the state, demolishing homes in Santa Barbara County and killing at least 15 people. Just weeks ago, many of those areas hardest hit by mudslides were battling wildfires.

Firefighters waded through debris, over piles of fallen trees and around displaced boulders in the aftermath of the storm, scouring for survivors after several homes were swept away. In one dramatic rescue, the Santa Barbara fire department pulled a 14-year-old girl from the remains of her destroyed home in Montecito. In another instance, a boy was found under a freeway overpass and rescued by firefighters; mud had carried him for hundreds of yards.

[Follow The Times’ reporting here.]

As rain pounded down, parts of the 101 Freeway were flooded by water from the overflowing Montecito Creek.