
Seventeen people are dead, 24 are missing and at least 300 are trapped in mudslides which have torn the wealthy town of Montecito apart.

The death toll climbed on Wednesday as emergency workers pulled bodies from a river of knee-deep mud and boulders which rained down on homes after a torrent of rain earlier in the week.

The debris was able to rush down on to the community because the hillside vegetation which would have ordinarily impeded it was stripped during the catastrophic wildfires last month.

Many residents put themselves in danger by not heeding mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders issued while there was still time to escape.

Emergency services attributed the decision to 'evacuation fatigue' after last month's wildfires which drove hundreds of thousands from their homes.

As more unthinkable damage rocked the area, celebrities were among those who found themselves caught up in the chaos.

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Highway 101 in Montecito on Wednesday remained blocked by flood water and debris after devastating mudslides

A ruined Porsche Carrera at one of the many luxury homes which have been destroyed by mudslides on Wednesday morning in Montecito where 17 are dead and 24 remain missing

Teresa Drenick stands on her sister's couch to assess the damage inside her home of Glen Oaks on Tuesday morning after the mudslides hit

A man stands beneath toppled electricity wires and amid boulders which now stand in place of roads in Montecito

A resident begins the daunting clean-up process on Wednesday outside their home. Some cars were safe but others sank in the mud

THE VICTIMS OF THE MONTECITO MUDSLIDES Roy Rohter Rohter was swept away from his home along with his wife Theresa in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Theresa was rescued from the mud and was taken to hospital. His death was confirmed by St. Augustine Academy in Ventura which he founded in 1994. David Cantin, 49 Cantin died being swept away from his home along with his teenage son. His daughter Lauren was filmed being rescued by firefighters from their home after they heard her screaming from the wreckage. Another 13 victims who have been confirmed dead have not had their identities confirmed. Roy Rohter, left, was swept away from his home with his wife. She survived but he was later found dead. Dave Cantin, 49, (right) was swept away with his son who survived. Dave was later confirmed dead One of the dead was not killed in Montecito but died in Los Angeles County. Authorities said that person's death was caused by the severe weather but they have not revealed how they died. There are 24 people still missing and the death toll is expected to rise as authorities continue to recover bodies from the mud. Missing: Rebecca Riskin, 61 THE MISSING Rebecca Riskin, 61 Riskin, 61, a real estate agent and founder of Riskin Partners, and her two dogs were also killed when the mud swept down Glenoaks Boulevard. Her frantic daughter said she was missing along with her dogs on Tuesday. Her neighbors have since told how they had to be rescued from her roof to survive as the slides swept over their homes. James Mitchell, 89, and Alice Mitchell, 78 Elderly couple Alice and Jim Mitchell have been missing since early on Tuesday along with their white poodle Gigi. Their worried relatives have appealed for information about their whereabouts on social media. James, 89, (left) and Alice, 78, (right) Mitchell have been reported as missing by their family Sawyer Corey, 12, and Morgan Corey, 25 Sisters Sawyer and Morgan were at home with the rest of their family when the mudslides crept over their home. The two sisters have not been found but their other siblings and mother were rescued. The sisters were asleep in their home with Sawyer's twin sister, Summer, and their mother, Carie Baker, when the mudslide hit. Baker and Summer Corey were later rescued and taken to hospital in critical condition. Sawyer Corey, 12, and Morgan Corey, 25, were swept away from their home. Their mother and other sisters were rescued Retired nurse Josie Gower has not been since Tuesday. Josie Gower, 69 Retired nurse Josie Gower has not been since Tuesday. Her friends and son-in-law are looking for her. John McManigal, 64 John was swept away by the muds as he and his young son Connor fled in the early hours of the morning. Connor was found not far from their home and has been hospitalized but authorities have not yet found John. Connor's worried brother, who is stationed at a military base in Hawaii, read about the mudslides and shared his concerns for his father on Wednesday. Larry Anderson, 73, and Judy Anderson, 78 The couple's friends and relatives are appealing for help to find them. They have not heard from the couple since Tuesday Larry and Judy Anderson, who live on Feather Hill, Montecito, have also been reported missing by family and friends Fabiola and Jonathan Benitez The young mother and son were swept away in the mudslides in the early hours of Tuesday. Friends say her husband and older son survived but neither Fabiola nor the younger boy has yet been found. Their ages are not known.

Fabiola (left) and her son Johnathan Benitez (right) were last seen on East Valley Road and Hot Springs Advertisement

Oprah Winfrey's $50million home survived the damage and she was not home for the worst of it but she visited the site on Tuesday to share her shock and grief. Tennis star Jimmy Connors revealed to fans that he had to be airlifted out of his home to safety.

As they surveyed the damage, 300 people remained trapped in the hillside community of Romero Canyon which has become impassable. Authorities are working on an evacuation plan to airlift the hundreds of stranded residents to safety.

Officials said Wednesday that emergency cellphone alerts warning of mudslides weren't sent out until flooding was already occurring, the LA Times reports. The message, similar to an Amber Alert, was sent out at 3.50am, but it is not clear how many people got it.

We don't know how many people are still trapped...we're making our way to areas to determine if anyone is still there and still alive Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown on Wednesday

Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said on Wednesday that his officers still did not know how many were trapped.

'We don't know how many people are still trapped. We know there are some, we're still making our way into certain areas of Montecito and the adjacent areas to determine if anyone is still there and still alive,' he told CBS.

The first victims have been identified. They include fathers and husbands whose wives and children were rescued but they were swept away.

Among the missing are sisters Morgan Corey, 25, and Sawyer Corey, 12, who were asleep in their home when the mudslides hit.

The miraculous rescue of teenager Lauren Cantin, who was pulled from her crumpled home when firefighters heard her screaming, was crushed by the devastating news that her father, Dave, had been killed. As the scale of the damage begins to emerge, questions persist over why so many died in the devastation.

This home in Montecito was ripped apart by the devastating mudslides that his on Monday

A resident checks a mud inundated home after heavy rains caused deadly mudslides in Montecito

A car sits in the mud outside a home in Sun Valley, California, on Wednesday near Montecito in California

An abandoned van outside a home in Sun Valley, California, on Wednesday

An uprooted structure sits in a tree in Montecito after being ripped from the ground by the catastrophic mudslides

A luxury home in Montecito is surrounded by boulders which rained down on the wealthy enclave in the early hours of Tuesday morning after floods brought on by storms

Roads and infrastructure have been wiped out by the mudslides which brought unexpected devastation to the area. While evacuation orders were in place, officials have admitted that even they were astonished by the scale of the damage

A road in Montecito is blocked by trees, boulders and thick mud on Wednesday. Police say they still do not know how many people are trapped in their homes and they are continuing to search for victims and survivors

A resident and a firefighter survey the damage in one road in Montecito on Wednesday where a huge, felled tree now blocks the road

At least 17 people have died in southern California after downpours sent mud and boulders roaring down hills that were stripped of vegetation by a gigantic wildfire that raged in the state in December. Oprah Winfrey uploaded a video to Instagram evaluating the damage in her yard

Winfrey's home in Montecito survived the storms, but the surrounding areas were heavily damaged. In another video on her Instagram, Oprah Winfrey shared footage of a gas fire that broke out Tuesday morning amid the mudslides

Winfrey shared video of her home following the floods to let her followers know she was safe and her $50million home had survived the storm. She shared a number of videos on Instagram showing the knee-deep mud in her yard (left), a gas fire nearby and helicopters rescuing her neighbors (right)

Most deaths occurred in Montecito, a wealthy enclave of about 9,000 people northwest of Los Angeles that is home to such celebrities as Winfrey (left with Stedman Graham), Rob Lowe and Ellen DeGeneres. Pictured above, Winfrey's $50million home in Montecito

Many residents chose not to heed mandatory and voluntary evacuation zones in Montecito and were suffering from what emergency services called 'evacuation fatigue' after being forced to flee their homes as the Thomas wildfire threatened it last month. Montecito, where most of the deaths have been found, was split into mandatory and voluntary zones

The victims' homes are split across the mandatory and voluntary evacuation zone. Oprah's Most of the missing were swept away in the mandatory evacuation zone

Part of the answer lies in what emergency services have called 'evacuation fatigue', a complacency or refusal to heed their warnings after last month's catastrophic fires.

NBC cited officials who said they were worried residents would not take the mudslides as seriously and not leave.

Bridget Bottoms, a resident who chose to stay at home appeared to confirm their fears, telling The Los Angeles Times: 'It sounds foolish but it's like, "how bad can it get?".

Sheriff Brown confirmed on Wednesday that there were some who chose to stay behind despite warnings.

'There were some people who did refuse to evacuate and chose to stay in their homes, but there were many that did evacuate and they were safe because of that,' he said.

About 7,000 residents in Santa Barbara County were ordered to evacuate before the downpour on Tuesday, and another 23,000 were urged to do so voluntarily - but many remained.

Winfrey shared video of her home following the floods to let her followers know she was safe and her $50million home had survived the storm.

She stood in knee-deep mud and debris as she said a fence had been knocked town and that she was 'devastated' over the damage to her neighbor's house.

'Thanks everyone for your prayers and concern,' she said in the caption. 'My property is fine. Some mud , and minor damage that pales in comparison to what my neighbors are going thru.'

An aerial photo showing north and south bound lanes of Hwy 101 on Wednesday

A deadly winter storm closes down the 101 Freeway as mud and debris fill north and south lanes in Santa Barbara, California, on Tuesday

About 7,000 residents in Santa Barbara County were ordered to evacuate before the downpour on Tuesday, and another 23,000 were urged to do so voluntarily - but many remained in their homes

The upscale communities of Montecito and Carpenteria, just outside the city of Santa Barbara, were hardest hit. Over the past month California's scenic coastline was ravaged by a series of intense wildfires that burned off vegetation

Santa Barbara County declared a State of Emergency on Monday ahead of expected heavy rain and flooding, especially in areas affected by the Thomas and Whittier Fires

Officials have now ordered residents in a large swath of Montecito to stay in their homes so that rescuers can better go about their work. About 300 people were stranded in a canyon

Santa Barbara county initially ordered 7,000 residents to evacuate and urged another 23,000 to do so voluntarily, but only 10 to 15 percent complied with mandatory orders, said Amber Anderson, a spokeswoman for the Santa Barbara County Fire Department

Winfrey previously shared a number of videos on Instagram showing the knee-deep mud in her yard, a gas fire nearby and helicopters rescuing her neighbors.

'What a day!' she said on the social media site as she filmed from her $50million estate in Montecito. '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. Helicopters rescuing my neighbors. Looking for missing persons.'

WHY RESIDENTS WITH 'EVACUATION FATIGUE' CHOSE NOT TO FLEE MONTECITO MUDSLIDES Residents of the plush neighborhood of Montecito were suffering 'evacuation fatigue' from last month's deadly wildfires when they chose to ignore orders to leave their homes as deadly mudslides threatened them. It is one of the reasons why at least 17 people are dead and another 17 are missing as a result of the floods in Southern California, according to locals. NBC cited officials who said they feared earlier in the week that residents in the plush, 9,000-person population enclave would not listen to their warnings. As predicted, many did not anticipate how severe the mudslides would be and chose to stay at home on Monday night. They awoke to their homes being swept away by mud and water. A mandatory evacuation order was issued for part of the enclave, which is home to nearly 9,000, on Monday night. Those areas were further from the coast and closer to the hillside areas which were entirely ravaged by the Thomas wildfire last month. Authorities have said it is still too early to say whether the mandatory evacuation order zone is worse affected than the voluntary zone. 'This isn’t an exact science in terms of defining where [a mudslide] is going to "happen,". 'A lot depends on Mother Nature. This was their best guess estimate of where things were going to occur, and as it turns out, they were exactly right,' Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said on Tuesday. Brown added that it was 'impossible' to say exactly where the mudslides have destroyed as they continue to work through the chaos. Experts had been working 'feverishly' since the wildfires to avoid the very scenario they now face. The county's Public Works Department deputy director said his team had done 'everything' they could to prevent it before the storm hit. Advertisement

Former tennis star Connors told his Twitter followers that he had to be evacuated from his home by helicopter.

'Montecito -- fires burn- rain comes- mud slides and devastation- evacuated today by helicopter- thoughts and prayers for all !!!', he wrote. Connors has owned an 800-square-foot home in the neighborhood since 2001.

The upscale communities of Montecito and Carpenteria, just outside the city of Santa Barbara, were hardest hit. Over the past month California's scenic coastline was ravaged by a series of intense wildfires that burned off vegetation.

Mudslides slammed into homes, covered highways and swept away vehicles early on Tuesday when more than a half-inch (1.5cm) of rain fell in five minutes, a rate that far exceeds the normal flash flood threshold.

Officials said during a press conference that the death toll was 17.

The first confirmed death was Roy Rohter, a former real estate broker who founded St. Augustine Academy in Ventura. The Catholic school's headmaster, Michael Van Hecke, announced the death and said Rohter's wife was injured by the mudslide.

At least 25 people were injured in the mudslides and at least 24 others were unaccounted for as of Wednesday.

On Tuesday, emergency workers using search dogs and helicopters to rescue dozens of people stranded in mud-coated rubble in the normally pristine area, sandwiched between the ocean and the sprawling Los Padres National Forest, about 110 miles (180 km) north of Los Angeles.

Among those missing following the mudslides are sisters Morgan Corey, 25, and Sawyer Corey, 12. They were asleep in their home with Sawyer's twin sister, Summer, and their mother, Carie Baker, when the mudslide hit early Tuesday morning.

Baker and Summer Corey were later found by rescue teams and taken to hospital in critical condition. Friends and family have launched a social media search for Saywer and Morgan, whose whereabouts are still unknown.

Also missing are elderly couple Alice and Jim Mitchell. Family members are hoping to find them at an evacuation center, but they have not heard from the couple since the mudslide hit.

Father-of-six John McManigal, who was swept out of his home by flooding alongside his 23-year-old son, Connor, who was later found.

'My father is being reported as missing right now,' John's son, Tyler, who is stationed in Hawaii for the Navy, told the Los Angeles Times.

The 28-year-old added: 'They found my brother probably three-quarters of a mile away, south of where the house is, on the 101 Freeway.'

Rescue crews used helicopters to pluck more than 50 people from rooftops because trees and power lines blocked roads, dozens more were rescued on the ground and firefighters pulled mud-caked 14-year-old Lauren Cantin from a collapsed Montecito home where she had been trapped for hours.

'I thought I was dead for a minute there,' the girl could be heard saying on video posted by KNBC-TV before she was taken away on a stretcher.

Lauren's father, Dave Cantin, and brother, Jack, were said to be missing after the rescue.

Andy Rupp, Montecito Fire Department told NBC News: 'As we came off this debris pile in the back, my partner and I were able to hear a little bit of a scream, so we got real quiet - we were able to locate the victim and over the last six hours we've been locating exactly where she was.

'Digging down to her, with the help of a lot of tools we were able to free her out and she's on her way in to the hospital right now.'

Elsewhere in Montecito, a man dug a baby out of four feet of mud after hearing crying coming from the neighbor's house.

Berkeley Johnson and his wife, Karen, had climbed to their roof around 3am on Tuesday after mud and boulders crashed into their home.

After the flooding receded, Johnson heard the cries from the neighbors house, so he jumped into action and dug for feet through the mud to find the child, who was under a pile of rocks. It remains unclear who the child belonged to.

'We don't know where it came from but we got it out, got the mud out of its mouth. I hope it's okay.

'I'm glad we got it out but who knows what else is out there,' he told KSBY, holding back tears.

A semi-tractor trailer sits stuck in mud and flood waters on the highway after mudslides in Montecito

Members of the Heavy Water Search and Rescue team help evacuate a resident along Montecito Creek that was trapped in her home surrounded by heavy mud and flood debris

The mudslides followed a violent rainstorm that dropped as much as 6 inches (15 cm) of precipitation in pockets northwest of Los Angeles, soaking ground that was left vulnerable after much of its vegetation burned in the state's largest wildfire last month

Last month's wildfires, including the Thomas Fire, which became the largest in California history, left the area vulnerable to mudslides. The fires burned away grass and shrubs that held the soil in place and also baked a waxy layer into the earth that prevents water from sinking deeply into the ground

A car remains stuck in the mud as a cleanup crew work to clear mud beside a closed off section of US Hwy 101, flooded after mud and debris broke through an embankment along the freeway near the San Ysidro exit in Montecito

Former tennis star Jimmy Connors told his Twitter followers that he had to be evacuated from his home by helicopter. Connors has owned an 800-square-foot home in the neighborhood since 2001

The incredible rescue of 14-year-old girl who was swept away in her home by mudslide and saved by firefighters who heard her screaming in wreckage A 14-year-old girl who was swept away in her home by a mudslide was saved by rescuers who heard her screaming in the wreckage. Lauren Cantin was found caked in mud under the ruins of her home after it was destroyed by debris that crashed through Montecito, California. Her father, Dave Cantin, and brother, Jack, were said to be missing after the rescue. Dave is feared dead and Jack has been rescued. A 14-year-old girl who was swept away in her home by a mudslide in California was saved by rescuers who heard her screaming in the wreckage Dramatic images shows her being gently lifted from the twisted remains of the building - apparently having escaped major injury Firecrews searching for survivors heard muffled screams coming from the wreckage and spent six hours trying to free the girl. Dramatic images shows her being gently lifted from the twisted remains of the building - apparently having escaped major injury. 'I thought I was dead for a minute there,' the dazed girl could be heard saying on video posted by KNBC-TV before she was taken away on a stretcher. At one point she winces with pain as she is being helped down, but is then able to walk away - with the help of two rescuers - between the huge boulders left by the mudslide. Andy Rupp, Montecito Fire Department told NBC News : 'As we came off this debris pile in the back, my partner and I were able to hear a little bit of a scream, so we got real quiet - we were able to locate the victim and over the last six hours we've been locating exactly where she was. 'Digging down to her, with the help of a lot of tools we were able to free her out and she's on her way in to the hospital right now.' At one point she winces with pain as she is being helped down, but is then able to walk away - with the help of two rescuers - between the huge boulders left by the mudslide Firefighters rescue a 14-year-old girl who was trapped for hours inside a destroyed home in Montecito on Tuesday. Rescue crews worked for six hours using the jaws of life and other tools to free her from the mangled wreckage, but she walked away Lauren's father Dave being swept away. Her brother Jack survived and was rescued from the mud Advertisement

Karen Johnson said that she and Berkeley were rescued by fire officials after climbing on to the roof of their neighbor's garage. The baby was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Also rescued as a family of five in distress in Carpinteria.

A US Coast Guard crew from San Diego rescued the family - a mother, father, a newborn baby, a seven-year-old boy and three-year-old daughter - as well as their two dogs on Tuesday.

Santa Barbara County Firefighters work amid flood waters and debris flow during heavy rains in Montecito, California, on Tuesday

A man wades in a flooded section of the US 101 freeway near the San Ysidro exit after the disastrous and deadly flooding

Power: A vehicle lies wrapped and tangled around a tree by the force of deadly flood waters on Hot Springs Road

A boulder blocks a road after heavy rains caused deadly mudslides. The rain storm in southern California has destroyed several homes and killed at least 13 people

Wrecked: A car is piled up in debris after a mudslide trapped it after heavy rains in Montecito, California

Santa Barbara County Fire Search Dog Reilly looks for victims in damaged and destroyed homes in Montecito on Tuesday

Debris and mud cover the entrance of the Montecito Inn after heavy rain brought flash flooding and mudslides to the area

Carpinteria resident Scott Mayfield walks through the mud on Foothill Road in Carpinteria on Tuesday

The first floor of the family's home was filled with four feet of mud, so the family was airlifted from the roof.

The death toll could increase when the search is deepened and expanded Wednesday, with a major search-and-rescue team arriving from nearby Los Angeles County and help from the Coast Guard and National Guard along with law enforcement. They'll focus first on finding survivors.

'Right now our assets are focused on determining if anyone is still alive in any of those structures that have been damaged,' Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said.

The sheriff said 'at least several dozen homes that have been either destroyed or severely damaged, and likely many other ones are in areas that are as-yet inaccessible.'

He said it's likely they'll find more people amid that destruction.

Sheriff Bill Brown said that identities of those killed in the mudslides until family members had been notified.

Rescue personnel in Santa Barbara County early on Wednesday morning continued searching for victims and the death toll could rise.

'While we hope it will not, we expect this number to increase as we continue to look for people who are missing and unaccounted for,' Brown said.

The mud was unleashed in the dead of night by flash flooding in the steep, fire-scarred Santa Ynez Mountains.

A Coast Guard official cradled the seven-year-old boy as he and his crew helped the family out of their home, which was ravaged by floods

Damaged vehicles carried by mud flow and debris at the exit of the parking garage to The Montecito Inn

Debris and mud cover the street in front of local area shops after heavy rain brought flash flooding on Tuesday in Montecito

Officials estimate that only 10 to 15 percent of the 21,000 people who were under mandatory evacuation orders actually left. The map above shows the mandatory (red) and voluntary (yellow) evacuation zones issued before Monday's storm

Burned-over zones are especially susceptible to destructive mudslides because scorched earth does not absorb water well and the land is easily eroded when there are no shrubs.

The torrent of mud early on Tuesday swept away cars and destroyed several homes, reducing them to piles of lumber.

'I came around the house and heard a deep rumbling, an ominous sound I knew was … boulders moving as the mud was rising,' said Thomas Tighe, who discovered two of his cars missing from the driveway in the middle of the night.'

'I saw two other vehicles moving slowly sideways down the middle of the street in a river of mud.'

In daylight, Mr Tighe was shocked to see a body pinned by muck against his neighbour's home.

Heavy downpours struck before dawn on Tuesday after 7,000 residents in Santa Barbara County were ordered to evacuate and another 23,000 were urged to do so voluntarily, some of them for a second time since December.

The county set up an evacuation shelter at Santa Barbara City College, where some people showed up drenched in mud, and also provided a place for people to take their animals.

Rescue crews are seen in Santa Barbara County on Tuesday. Heavy debris flows and mudslides blocked roads, forcing helicopter evacuations of residents trapped in their homes

The 101 turned into a river of mud and debris outside of Montecito as officials ordered the coastal highway closed for 30 miles

The US 101 Freeway at the Olive Mill Road overpass was flooded with runoff water from Montecito Creek

Carpinteria resident Jeff Gallup carries his bike through mud on Foothill Road in Carpinteria on Tuesday

A K-9 search and rescue team walks into an area of debris and mud flow due to heavy rain in Montecito on Tuesday

Search and rescue crews are seen working amid the destruction where homes once stood in Montecito on Tuesday

The main line of the Union Pacific Railroad through Montecito is blocked with mudflow and debris due to heavy rains

The main line of the Union Pacific Railroad through Montecito is blocked with mudflow and debris due to heavy rains

Santa Barbara County firefighters tend to a woman on Hot Springs Road while waiting for an ambulance early Tuesday. The woman was pulled from a debris pile in Montecito caused by heavy rain runoff

Authorities had been bracing for the possibility of catastrophic flooding because of heavy rain in the forecast for the first time in 10 months.

Evacuations were ordered beneath recently burned areas of Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties.

But only an estimated ten to 15 per cent of people in a mandatory evacuation area of Santa Barbara County heeded the warning, authorities said.

Sheriff Bill Brown said that a number of deaths and rescue missions occurred in voluntary evacuation zones, where about 23,000 live.

A 30-mile stretch of US Highway 101, the link connecting Ventura and Santa Barbara, looked like a muddy river and was expected to be closed for two days.

Two Santa Barbara boating companies launched emergency ferry services to help with travel due to the affected roadways. The Island Packers and Condor Express will offer service in the morning and afternoon for $32.

The worst of the rainfall occurred in a 15-minute span starting at 3.30am. Large boulders were washed out of a previously dry creek bed and scattered across the road.

Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters work in Sun Valley on Tuesday. Heavy rains overnight combined with large areas burned by several recent wildfires in Southern California combined for flash flooding and mudslide risk

Los Angeles Fire Department Firefighters work admid flood waters and mud after debris flow during heavy rains in Sun Valley

Los Angeles Fire Department Firefighters work admist flood waters and mud after debris flow during heavy rains Tuesday

A rescue team removes their boat after a swift water rescue in the Los Angeles River early Tuesday at Lake Balboa

The number of fatalities surpassed the death toll from a California mudslide on January 10, 2005, when teh people were killed as a hillside gave way in the town of La Conchita, less than 20 miles south of the latest disaster.

Montecito is beneath the scar left by a wildfire that erupted on December 4 and became the largest ever recorded in California.

It spread over more than 440 square miles and destroyed 1,063 homes and other structures. It continues to smoulder deep in the wilderness.

The fire burned away grass and shrubs that hold the soil in place and also baked a waxy layer into the earth that prevents water from sinking deeply into the ground.

A yearslong drought eased in the state last spring, but Northern California had a dry start to winter and hardly any measurable rain fell in the south over the past six months.

The extremely dry conditions and high winds last year led to some of the most destructive blazes on both ends of the state.

The storm walloped much of the state with damaging winds and thunderstorms.

Downtown San Francisco got a record 3.15 inches of rain on Monday, smashing the old mark of 2.36 inches set in 1872.