Storms, fires and the positioning of Montecito have resulted in a precarious existence for the town's mostly wealthy residents.
The changes helped keep safe those Montecito residents who were ordered to evacuate but did not. Brian Fitzgerald, a Los Angeles transplant, didn’t leave — nor did he flee during the deadly debris flow in 2018.
Up the mountain, toward Montecito Hot Springs, 95-year-old Richard Schultz also stayed put. In his massive Spanish colonial home that looks out over the expanse of Montecito, Schultz said debris that flows down the mountain tends to skirt his house on both sides, which left him safe in 2018 and again on Monday.
“I moved about 10 minutes away because my daughter, she was very certain due to her trauma that she did not want to live in Montecito in the near future,” said Cantin, who now lives in Santa Barbara.Kim Cantin, whose husband, David, and son, John, were killed in the Montecito mudslide in January 2018, looks for familiar items in a debris pile behind a home in Montecito in September of that year.
Five years after debris flows killed 23 people, the entire town of Montecito was evacuated after rain pounded California. A recent study found the area has a long history of similar events.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
California storms: Runoff continues deadly flood threat; Storms to return over the weekendWhile the skies were clear Thursday morning, the runoff from 18 days of rain continued to flow into local creeks and rivers, triggering flood warnings for Sonoma County and the Salinas River.
Read more »
California storms: Runoff continues deadly flood threat; Storms to return over the weekendWhile the skies were clear Thursday morning, the runoff from 18 days of rain continued to flow into local creeks and rivers, triggering flood warnings for Sonoma County and the Salinas River.
Read more »
Map: Where 17 people were killed in California stormsDrowning, falling trees, storm-related vehicle crashes cited as causes.
Read more »
California storms live updates: Dramatic images show widespread devastationLATEST: More than half of a foot of rainfall is in the forecast for the West Coast over the next week, from California to Washington state. For live storm updates:
Read more »
Rain-soaked California braces for more stormsNorthern California is expecting more rain today and another system is forecasted to hit the area from Friday until Jan. 17.
Read more »