(CNN) Two days after the Golden Globes and a speech that had everyone talking, Oprah Winfrey's thoughts are not on her presidential prospects but with her neighbors in Santa Barbara, California, where heavy rains have caused dangerous mudslides and led to fatalities.

As of Wednesday evening, at least 17 people have died and officials in Santa Barbara County say that number could rise.

A number of homes have been destroyed and first responders have rescued at least 50 people.

"Praying for our community again in Santa Barbara," Winfrey wrote late Tuesday, sharing photos of her mud-soaked backyard and helicopters making rescues in the area.

In a follow-up post Wednesday morning, Winfrey clarified that her property suffered only "minor damage that pales in comparison to what my neighbors are going thru (sic)."