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Thousands of Southern California residents gathered in Santa Barbara on Sunday for a somber vigil in honor of the 20 victims who died in last week’s horrific mudslides in Montecito. Friends, families, neighbors and community leaders came together in solidarity outside the Santa Barbara Courthouse, with candles, signs and cathartic stories about those lost.

It was a moment for reflection amid a swift and urgent pivot toward recovery. The Central Coast’s infrastructure was also deeply affected by the tragedy that ripped apart families and destroyed scores of homes.

Among the top priorities in the cleanup effort has been repairing Highway 101, which connects Los Angeles to many communities on the coast. It remained closed on Monday, and officials have been hesitant to say when it will be reopened. Jim Shivers, a spokesman for the California Department of Transportation, said on Sunday that road crews have to deal with “massive amount of water” on the highway. It is now expected to reopen in one week.

“Once we can get that water to recede, we feel very confident that we can bring in the available equipment on standby, get down to the bottom, and move the heavy material out of the way,” he said.