Story highlights The season's strongest storm brings a high risk of flash flooding and debris flows in recent burn areas

Mandatory evacuations in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties began Tuesday

(CNN) Santa Barbara County officials have issued a mandatory evacuation order affecting about 30,000 people in extreme and high-risk debris flow areas ahead of the strongest storm of the season for Southern California.

"We have no choice but do to this," Santa Barbara Sheriff Bill Brown said. "It's not worth risking lives to avoid evacuation."

Evacuations are nothing new for many citizens of Santa Barbara County. Leah Watson of Montecito says it is her fifth time evacuating. For many children like hers, the rain brings the threat of washing away childhood homes and the memories associated with them.

"It's hard to leave," Watson said, holding back tears. "I was talking to my 10-year-old daughter, Claire, and she said, 'Mom, is everything going to be all right?' and I said, 'I can't tell you that everything is going to be OK. I can just tell you that we are going to be safe.' "

She said her daughter stood in front of the family home Tuesday and just stared at it. "She was trying to soak it all in and just memorize it, what it looked like just in case, because the children have seen homes all around here that have been damaged," Watson said.

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