Another Deadly Weather Disaster Now Unfolding In California

Mud inside a home in Montecito, California
this morning amid an unfolding flash flood,
mudslide and debris flow disaster. 

UPDATE: As of early afternoon Eastern Standard Time, the death toll from the mudslides and debris flows in California is now up to five.

Other people are missing. The gas main break caused by one of the debris flows also burned several homes. One witness told reporters a heartrending story of the mudslides destroying their house while they were inside.

They were rescued, and later checked on a neighbor's house. They heard a baby crying deep down in the mud. The man and rescuers retrieved and saved the baby, but nobody knows if there are other fatalities beneath the mud in that neighborhood.

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California can't catch a break.

The expected torrential rains have arrived in southern California and those rains have caused destructive and deadly mudslides and debris flows. This is especially true near the burn scars of those epic wildfires they had through 2017.

This is still breaking news, so all the details are still not out. Plus, as of 10:30 eastern time, it was still raining in California, so more trouble will be brewing.

We do know the communities of Montecito and Carpinteria, near where the gigantic Thomas fire raged through December, are particulary hard hit.

Early reports from the Los Angeles Times indicate at least one person has died in the mudslides, flash flooding and debris flows so far.

Thirty miles of the heavily traveled 101 Freeway near the site of the Thomas Fire is closed due to mudslides and debris flows. Several people were rescued from debris flows in Montecito, and a gas main break has caused at least one fire, the Los Angeles Times said. 

A rain gauge has measured five inches of rain so far in at least one recording station in the Thomas Fire burn scar.

I'm sure there will be further updates as this continues to unfold.