Mudslides feared as strong Pacific storm heads toward weary Southern California

LOS ANGELES -- A strong Pacific storm dropped heavy rain Wednesday on a swath of California where thousands of people have been evacuated because of the threat of debris flows and mudslides from wildfire burn areas. About 30,000 people have been evacuated in the Thomas, Sherpa and Whittier burn areas in Santa Barbara County, along with another 2,500 in Ventura County, CBS Los Angeles reports. 

The storm is a combination of a strong Eastern Pacific weather system greatly bloated by an "atmospheric river" consisting of a subtropical plume of moisture. The heaviest rain is not expected to be generated until late Wednesday evening. 

It also moved eastward, bringing the threat of flooding to the San Joaquin Valley and Sierra Nevada, where winter storm warnings for new snow were in effect on the second day of spring. 

"Widespread urban roadway flooding is possible as well as rockslides and mudslides, especially near canyon roadways," the National Weather Service said. "As a result, there could be significant travel delays and road closures across the region between Tuesday and Thursday night."     

Authorities kept a close watch on Santa Barbara County, hoping there would not be a repeat of the massive January debris flows from a burn scar that ravaged the community of Montecito and killed 21 people. 

"Right now it looks like the storm will enter its most threatening period Thursday morning," the National Weather Service said, adding there could be a nine-hour period of moderate to heavy rain. 

Mud and rockslides closed several roads in the region, including Highway 1 at Ragged Point near Big Sur, not far from where the scenic coast route is still blocked by a massive landslide triggered by a storm last year. 

With the storm expected to last through Thursday, there was concern about the combination of rainfall rates and the long duration, said Suzanne Grimmesey, a spokeswoman for Santa Barbara County. 

With the grim Montecito experience in recent memory, Santa Barbara County ordered evacuation of areas along its south coast near areas burned by several wildfires dating back to 2016. 

"We actually do feel good about the evacuation order," Grimmesey said. "Law enforcement was out in the extreme risk areas of Montecito yesterday knocking on doors. For those that were home, we had a very good cooperation rate with people leaving." 

When sheriff's deputies told Kristine Sperling and her family they should evacuate their home because of the approaching storm in January, they didn't listen. 

Sperling thought she, her husband and their 11-year-old daughter would be safe. Then the storm unleashed flash floods laden with giant boulders that blasted through town in the middle of the night, destroying or damaging hundreds of homes. A dear friend was among those killed. 

Now the Sperlings don't question evacuation orders. They just go. 

"It's a matter of life and death," Sperling said from Santa Barbara, where her family was staying with friends after evacuating Tuesday. 

The Sperlings' home wasn't damaged in January but the family needed to be rescued after losing electricity, gas and water, and all the roads out of town were destroyed. 

"We're just not willing to take that kind of chance anymore," said Sperling, 48. "What happened in January was just all of our worst nightmares." 

Many residents in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties have faced repeated evacuations or advisories since December, when a wind-driven fire grew into the largest in recorded state history and destroyed more than 1,000 buildings. 

Montecito resident Garrick Hyder evacuated for the December wildfire but not ahead of the January mudslides, which destroyed items in his garage including a motorcycle and thousands of dollars' worth of snowboarding and scuba-diving equipment. 

Hyder watched as rescuers retrieved several bodies over several days from in front of his house. 

Hyder evacuated four days after the mudslides and then again when another storm threatened the area a week ago. 

"I'm on No. 4 now," Hyder said Tuesday as he packed his car. "It's pretty crazy. It's kind of the price of living in paradise." 

In Los Angeles County, authorities planned to put mandatory and voluntary evacuations into effect at 6 p.m. Wednesday in areas near four recent wildfires.