Unprecedented Rainfall and Major Flooding Around the World

Torrential Rainstorm Brings Floods and Havoc to China
https://sputniknews.com/asia/201709111057288674-china-flood-damage-rainfall-disaster/

At least eight people died and seven are reported missing as torrential rains hit China, causing disastrous flooding around the country. The severe downpour hit central and southwestern Chinese regions last Friday, affecting roughly 596,000 people, according to a statement on Monday by local authorities.

Over 6,700 people were evacuated in China from potentially dangerous areas after heavy rainfalls lashed central and southwestern regions of the country, causing massive flooding, as the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs reported on Monday, adding that at least eight people were killed and seven have gone missing.

The torrential downpours affected some 596,000 people in the Chinese provinces of Henan, Hubei, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan and Shaanxi, as well as the municipality of Chongqing.

The rainstorm, which had been battering the areas since Friday, caused mudflows, landslides and floods, while some regions were hit by a heavy hail. According to the ministry's statement, the damage inflicted so far is estimated at 420 million yuan [nearly $64,5 million]. Over 500 houses were destroyed in the floods, 2,700 others were damaged. Around 68,400 acres of farmlands were devastated by rainfall.
 
A failing dam is causing an "extremely dangerous" situation in the US territory of Puerto Rico, the US National Weather Service said Friday.

Towns Evacuating as Puerto Rican Dam Fails
https://sputniknews.com/latam/201709221057625406-evacuating-puerto-rico-dam-fails/

The Guajataca Dam in the northwestern Puerto Rico failed at 2:10 p.m. local time, spurring the National Weather Service to announce a flash flood emergency. The dam failure comes in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, which has caused flooding and devastation across the island.

The nearby cities of Isabela and Quebradillas, with a combined population of more than 70,000 people, received evacuation orders as the dam began to fail. "This is an EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION," NWS San Juan said in a statement Friday afternoon. "Buses are currently evacuating people from the area as quickly as they can," the statement continued.

​Local residents have been warned to find "higher ground now," the weather service said on its website. Between Tuesday and Wednesday alone, water levels in Lago de Guajataca (Guajataca Lake) rose three feet, federal data show. The dam, constructed in the 1920s, had a capacity of about 11 billion gallons of water and was used primarily for irrigation and consumption.

​"Do not attempt travel unless you are fleeing an area subject to flooding or under an evacuation order," the alert states.

As of Thursday the entire island has been without electric power. At least 13 have died on the island as a result of the storm, and the death toll is expected to rise. Maria has claimed 30 lives as it cut through the Caribbean, and the Category 3 storm remains very dangerous.
 
Whistle blowers come forward but fear retaliation. :whistle:

Records Raise Safety Questions Surrounding Oroville Dam (Video's and links)
Sep 29, 2017
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/investigations/Records-Raise-Safety-Questions-Surrounding-Oroville-Dam-448318083.html
Snip:
A six-month investigation by NBC Bay Area that reviewed two decades’ worth of safety documents uncovers questions about the dam’s safety beyond the spillway that failed in February

An NBC Bay Area examination of 20 years’ worth of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and California Division of Safety of Dams (DSOD) inspection reports, engineering studies, Federal Part 12D independent consultant inspection reports, consultant letters and memos—nearly 10,000 pages of documents in all—repeatedly identified problems with the stability, safety and monitoring of Oroville Dam.

These issues raise concern among seven engineers who reviewed the materials at NBC Bay Area’s request. Several of those engineers, who asked to remain anonymous, currently work in structural engineering, including the design, monitoring and review of dams. One engineer served on the National Dam Safety Review Board.

All of the engineers told NBC Bay Area that the documents they reviewed raise serious safety concerns that they say must be addressed sooner rather than later or risk failure of Oroville Dam itself.

Among the issues are:

*A 15-foot-long crack in the concrete at gate eight in the dam’s headworks, or flood control structure, which records show appears to be growing

*Spalling, or deterioration, of concrete in other areas of the dam

*Cracking tendons, or trunnion rods, that help move the 20-ton radial gates, which control the flow of water through the dam

*Failure of the Department of Water Resources to develop a long-term plan to monitor the amount and speed of water that naturally flows through the earthen dam, despite a request by federal inspectors to do so.

CRACK+OROVILLE.PNG


For many of the engineers, that last issue is the most troubling problem. In a 2010 report, federal inspectors ordered the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) to “establish a long-term plan to monitor the flow” of water through the earthen dam—what’s known as the phreatic surface. This issue subsequently appears as the top priority to be addressed in the past five years of DSOD inspection reports, yet DWR has, thus far, failed to create such a plan.
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According to reports, The number of people killed in landslides and floods in Vietnam has reached 60, while 31 have been injured.

Death Toll From Landslides in Vietnam Reaches 60
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960723000920

The Xinhua news agency added, citing the Vietnamese Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, 37 more people were considered to be missing.

The country’s Northern and central regions were lashed with a massive downpour on Tuesday, which led to flooding and landslides across several provinces.

Over 5,000 families had to leave their homes in the central provinces of Thanh Hoa, Nghe An and Ha Tinh. On Wednesday, Vietnam’s authorities declared a state of emergency in the Northern province of Hoa Binh.


The number of victims in massive landslides and flooding in the north and center of Vietnam has risen.
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Death Toll From Landslides in Vietnam Reaches 60 – Reports
https://sputniknews.com/asia/201710151058244486-death-toll-landslide-vietnam/

Xinhua news agency has reported that the number of people killed in landslides and floods in Vietnam has reached 60, while 31 have been injured.

The agency added, citing the Vietnamese Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, 37 more people were considered to be missing.

The country’s northern and central regions were lashed with a massive downpour on Tuesday, which led to flooding and landslides across several provinces. Over 5,000 families had to leave their homes in the central provinces of Thanh Hoa, Nghe An and Ha Tinh. On Wednesday, Vietnam’s authorities declared a state of emergency in the northern province of Hoa Binh.

On Thursday, Russian Emergencies Minister Vladimir Puchkov said Moscow was ready to provide assistance to Vietnam in dealing with the aftermath of the disaster.
 
The incident took place on Saturday morning, when thousands of metric tons of laterite earth slid down from a height of 35 meters (114.8 feet), CBC news reported.

Landslide in Malaysia Kills 3, 11 Others Remain Under Rubble (VIDEO)
https://sputniknews.com/asia/201710211058430926-malaysia-landslide-death-toll/

At least three people were killed and 11 others remain under the rubble as a result of a landslide in Tanjung Bungah settlement in the Malaysian state of Penang, local media reported Saturday.

​The rescue service officers are now scouring the territory of 160,000 square feet, searching for other victims, the news outlet said.

​The incident has triggered public outrage as local citizens have repeatedly called on the Penang state local government to stop the over-development of hillsides. Tanjung Bungah Residents Association has submitted petitions to the local government on numerous occasions, asking to halt this activity as it provoked flash floods in the state. However, the problems were ignored by the local authorities.
 
Drenching rain floods Tillamook Pacific Northwest News Oregon (Pic's)
Posted October 22, 2017 at 05:06 PM | Updated October 22, 2017 at 09:04 PM
_http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2017/10/drenching_downpours_flood_till.html?ath=fd42cee7b04d57e3f4c6ac553877bb4a#cmpid=nsltr_stryphoto
Snip:
Overnight downpours flooded Tillamook, closing roads and businesses and snarling traffic.
The area is prone to flooding, but this came early in the season, said Gordon McCraw, the area's emergency manager.
The worst was in Lee’s Camp, he said, which was hit with 10 inches overnight. He said five inches drenched the east part of town.
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Typhoon "Lan" slams into Japan, leaves at least 4 dead, extensive flooding
Posted by TW on October 23, 2017
https://watchers.news/2017/10/23/typhoon-lan-japan-damage-casualties/
https://watchers.news/2017/10/22/typhoon-lan-pre-landfall-update-by-meteorologist-jonathan-oh/
Snip:
Typhoon "Lan" made landfall at Shizuoka Prefecture, some 175 km (110 miles) southwest of Tokyo at 18:00 UTC on Sunday, October 22, 2017 (03:00 JST, October 23), side-sweeping the capital, bringing heavy rain and wind gusts up to 198 km/h (123 mph). The typhoon caused power outages, extensive flooding, landslides and left at least 4 people dead. Some 500 flights were canceled Sunday and another 350 on Monday.

Lan brought more than 400 mm (15.74 inches) of rainfall in the 48 hours to Sunday evening in Wakayama, Mie, and Kagoshima prefectures. The city of Shingu in Wakamaya saw over 700 mm (27.55 inches) of rainfall and some parts up to 888 mm (34.96 inches) within 48 hours.

超大型台風、各地で被害 土砂崩れや孤立も (0:54)
KyodoNews Published on Oct 22, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=VZUFU6YCuck
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Storm Brian causes flooding in Ireland - video
https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2017/oct/21/storm-brian-causes-flooding-in-ireland-video
The latest extreme weather event to hit Ireland is causing floods in the south-west as winds reach up to 50mph and the river Shannon bursts its banks in Limerick city. The entire country is expected to be affected by the storm later on Saturday before it passes across the Irish Sea towards Britain, where the Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for parts of Wales and England.
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Storm Brian hits Britain after flooding in south-west Ireland Snip:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/21/storm-brian-causes-flooding-in-south-west-ireland
Parts of Britain have been battered by winds of almost 80mph and heavy rains as storm Brian crossed the Irish Sea after causing flooding in some parts of Ireland.

A yellow weather warning for winds across a swath of Britain, including Wales and southern England up to the Midlands and north west, will remain in place until midnight on Saturday.

Gusts of 78mph (125km/h), the highest recorded on Saturday afternoon, struck the Llŷn Peninsula on the north-west coast of Wales, the Met Office said.

Dozens of flights and ferry crossings have been cancelled because of the high winds, with British Airways cutting 10 flights to and from Heathrow to reduce the number of aircraft movements at the airport.

The rough seas and strong winds have forced Brittany Ferries to cancel eight sailings, with Irish ports particularly affected by the rough conditions. P&O Ferries has also been hit by the disruption and on Saturday evening it cancelled all crossings of the Irish Sea between Dublin and Liverpool.

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Greek authorities have declared a day of national mourning after heavy rainfall triggered floods near Athens.

Greece Mourns After Deluge Kills 15, Causes Carnage (PHOTO, VIDEO)
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201711161059146426-greece-floods-heavy-rains/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTTzkJoT5s8 (1:46 min.)

Floods in Greece have killed at least 15 people and caused utter ruin, with the industrial towns of Mandar, Nea Peramos and Megara, in the foothills of a mountain west of Athens, being the most affected.

Locals said the devastation was unprecedented in scale. Residents said they were woken on Wednesday morning to their homes being filled by rainwater and awash with mud.

According to the BBC, many of the victims were elderly people whose bodies were found inside their homes.

"Everything is lost. The disaster is biblical," Mandra Mayor Yianna Krikouki told state broadcaster ERT.

According to the broadcaster, at least 37 people have been hospitalized and some are still missing. There are fears that the death toll could climb even higher as emergency crews continue searching flooded homes and streets on the western outskirts of Athens.

"This is a very difficult moment for our country. We mourn the deaths of 14 people in what is a great disaster…. It is the wish of all of us that this number does not increase," Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said in a televised address, announcing a national day of mourning Thursday.

​​Greece has been hit by heavy rains for about a week. A new severe weather warning has been issued for Greece on Thursday.

Earlier, authorities had declared a state of emergency on Symi Island in the Aegean Sea due to torrential rains that wreaked havoc on local infrastructure.
 
The U.S. Flooded One of Houston’s Richest Neighborhoods to Save Everyone Else
November 16, 2017, 11:00 AM GMT+1
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-11-16/the-u-s-flooded-one-of-houston-s-richest-neighborhoods-to-save-everyone-else
The Army Corps of Engineers sent water cascading into West Houston’s Energy Corridor to avoid a catastrophic reservoir failure during Hurricane Harvey. Now a web of lawsuits could change how the government handles extreme weather.

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Sep 4, 2017
Google earth video with overlays showing where water fell, and where it will recede from as the Galveston District slowly reduces flow rates out of Addicks and Barker dams. Courtesy Video U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District
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Sep 22, 2017 :huh:
_https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAKR9Bnf1pY
This brave soldier tells it like it is in a no holds bar monolog describing his personal account during hurricane Harvey. Listen as he tells you how FEMA did nothing to help and in fact was doing something else that is much more sinister.

Published on Nov 16, 2017

Greece: drone footage reveals aftermath of flooding / 2:02
Nov 16, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tEXbXw26as
 
SANTIAGO, Chile: A mudslide fueled by heavy rains swept over a village in southern Chile on Saturday, leaving at least three people dead and 15 missing, officials said.

Landslide in southern Chile leaves 3 dead, 15 missing Sunday 17 December 2017
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1210331/world

Rain caused a river to overflow and the side of a hill to collapse, burying 20 of the 200 houses in Villa Santa Lucia in the Los Lagos region, located 790 miles (1,272 kilometers) south of Chile’s capital, Santiago.

Deputy Secretary of the Interior Madmud Aleuy said the three confirmed dead are two women and an unidentified tourist, while 15 others remain missing.

Rescuers are looking for survivors and President Michel Bachelet said on her Twitter account that emergency services are in the area “to care for those affected.”

Some of the injured were taken by helicopter to medical centers. Two families were evacuated because of a fire caused by the slide, authorities said. Water and electricity service to the area was knocked out.

The alert level in the area had been raised to red because of the persistent rains.


MANILA: Landslides triggered by Tropical Storm Kai-Tak have killed 26 people and 23 more are missing in the eastern Philippines, authorities said Sunday.
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26 dead from landslides after Philippine storm Sunday 17 December 2017
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1210401/world

Kai-Tak tore across the major islands of Samar and Leyte on Saturday, toppling power lines in 39 towns or cities and damaging roads and bridges, the national disaster agency said.

Some 87,700 people were forced from their homes in the region. But the previous death toll had stood at just three.

“There is a total of 26 people dead from landslides in four towns of Biliran. We have recovered the bodies,” Sofronio Dacillo, provincial disaster risk reduction and management officer, told AFP.

Gerardo Espina, governor of the island province just east of Leyte, gave the same figure for deaths in an interview on ABS-CBN television. He said 23 people were missing.

The national disaster risk reduction agency could not immediately confirm if the 26 deaths in Biliran included the initial three fatalities it reported on Saturday.

Kai-Tak weakened on Sunday afternoon, with gusts of up to 80 kilometers (50 miles) an hour, and was reclassified as a tropical depression, state weather forecasters said.

But disaster officials warned that more floods and landslides were possible and said 15,500 passengers were stranded because ferry services remained suspended in parts of the region.
 
angelburst29 said:
26 dead from landslides after Philippine storm Sunday 17 December 2017
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1210401/world
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Update: At least 27 people have been killed and 24 reported missing in the Philippine island province of Biliran after it was hit by a tropical storm Urduja.

Tropical Storm Urduja Kills 27 People, 24 Reported Missing in Philippines
https://sputniknews.com/asia/201712181060086255-tropical-storm-philippines/

According to the state-run Philippine News Agency (PNA), the storm wreaked severe damage on the infrastructure, as some towns of the province became isolated due to collapsed bridges.

Nearly 11,000 have been people stuck in ports across the country because of Urduja’s strong winds and rains, the news agency added.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will reportedly visit the affected areas later in the day.
 
A tropical storm in the south of Philippines, which triggered landslides and flooding, has killed nearly 90 people, while the search for dozens of others is still underway, police and disaster officials report on Saturday.

Tropical Storm in Philippines Leaves Nearly 90 People Dead, Dozens Missing
https://sputniknews.com/asia/201712231060260456-mudslides-flooding-philippines-death-toll/

The disaster occurred on the main southern island of Mindanao late on Friday.

"We are still trying to confirm reports of a farming village buried by a mudslide," said Ryan Cabus, an official in Tubod town, as quoted by Reuters.

According to the official, rescue efforts are complicated due to power and communication lines having been cut.

Emergency workers, volunteers and soldiers have been sent to the area hit by mudslides and heavy flooding to look for survivors.


The death toll from a mudslide that swept southern Chile last weekend has reached 15 after the body of a little girl was pulled from under the rubble, fire authorities said.
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Death Toll From Deadly Chile Mudslide Rises to 15 (PHOTO, VIDEO)
https://sputniknews.com/latam/201712231060260132-chile-mudslide-death-toll/

The landslide in the town of Villa Santa Lucia was triggered by a heavy downpour that hit the remote valley over a single day on December 16.

The torrent of mud buried a village, destroyed hundreds of homes, water and power supply was cut off.

According to Chile's interior ministry, over 4.5 inches of rain fell in 24 hours.

The town of Villa Santa Lucia borders the popular Corcovado national park famous for its volcanoes and forests.

President Michelle Bachelet declared the region a disaster area.

En #VillaSantaLucía impresiona, por un lado, el nivel de devastación y, por otro, la enorme solidaridad de las localidades cercanas. Hemos estado trabajando desde el principio para enfrentar la emergencia y seguiremos hasta que el pueblo se recupere de esta triste tragedia. pic.twitter.com/uoA9Rz2Dhk

On the one hand, the level of devastation in #VillaSantaLucía is striking, and on the other hand, huge solidarity of the nearby towns impresses me. We have been dealing with the emergency from the very beginning and will continue do so until people recover from this sad tragedy.
 
angelburst29 said:
A tropical storm in the south of Philippines, which triggered landslides and flooding, has killed nearly 90 people, while the search for dozens of others is still underway, police and disaster officials report on Saturday.

Tropical Storm in Philippines Leaves Nearly 90 People Dead, Dozens Missing
https://sputniknews.com/asia/201712231060260456-mudslides-flooding-philippines-death-toll/
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Update: Philippines storm leaves 182 dead and tens of thousands displaced Saturday 23 December 2017
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1213781/world

Tens of thousands have been forced from their homes by a tropical storm that battered the southern Philippines leaving at least 182 dead, police and aid agencies said Sunday.

Tropical Storm Tembin, which triggered flash floods and mudslides as it lashed the nation’s second-largest island of Mindanao, has displaced more than 70,000 people, said the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

“People left everything behind when they fled for their lives,” the IFRC’s Philippines operations and programs manager Patrick Elliott said in a statement.

The Philippines is pummelled by 20 major storms each year on average, many of them deadly. But Mindanao, home to 20 million people, is rarely hit.

Police said 153 people were still missing and more than 40,000 had fled to evacuation camps as Tembin, which slammed into the island on Friday, continued westwards.

Police, soldiers and volunteers used shovels to dig through mud and debris as they searched for bodies in the village of Dalama on Saturday.

“The river rose and most of the homes were swept away. The village is no longer there,” police officer Gerry Parami told AFP by telephone from nearby Tubod town in Lanao del Norte, one of the provinces hardest hit by Tembin.

Local police said 127 people have been confirmed dead in the province, with 72 missing, as rescuers pulled dozens of bodies from the swollen Salog River near the town of Sapad.

The bodies had been swept downriver from a flooded town upstream called Salvador, Rando Salvacion, the Sapad town police chief, told AFP. Authorities in Salvador said other bodies were retrieved upstream.

“The people received ample warnings. But as we are rarely hit by typhoons, people living near rivers did not take them seriously,” Salvador police chief Wilson Mislores told AFP.

The death toll for Mindanao’s Zamboanga peninsula also rose to 28, and police said 81 people were missing after mud and rocks swept down coastal communities in Sibuco and other fishing towns.

Landslides had blocked rescue and relief convoys to the impoverished region, officials said Saturday.

One man was killed by a crocodile while he was securing his boat as the storm closed in this week on the western island of Palawan, a police report said Saturday.

The storm hit Balabac, a fishing island of 40,000 people in the western Philippines, on Saturday afternoon with gusts of 145 kilometers (71 miles) an hour, the state weather service said.

Tembin struck less than a week after Tropical Storm Kai-Tak left 54 dead and 24 missing in the central Philippines, straining the disaster-prone nation’s resources.

“It is unfortunate that another tropical cyclone... made its presence felt so near Christmas,” Harry Roque, President Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesman, said in a statement.

Roque vowed continued government aid to the affected communities, but Romina Marasigan, spokeswoman for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, described the situation as “challenging.”

The deadliest typhoon to hit the country was Haiyan, which killed thousands and destroyed entire towns in heavily populated areas of the central Philippines in November 2013.
 
MANILA: Two people were killed and thousands fled strong winds and floods as a tropical depression hit the central Philippines on Tuesday, following deadly back-to-back storms during the Christmas season.

Two dead, thousands flee in storm-weary Philippines
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1217826/world

The deaths were reported on Cebu island, where an elderly woman was killed in a landslide while a man died after he hit his head on the pavement as the storm cut off electricity in the area.

Tropical Storm Kai-Tak killed 47 people in the central Philippines last month, while Tropical Storm Tembin killed 240 on the southern island of Mindanao.

The state weather service warned the new disturbance was poised to hit the western tourist island of Palawan with gusts of 65 kilometers (40 miles) per hour later on Tuesday.

“The residents are really sad. It is tough that we have three storms coming one after another. People have lost their livelihood and have had no rest since Christmas,” Gil Acosta, information officer of the island, told AFP.

Palawan accounted for 37 of the recorded Tembin deaths, with 60 other people still missing, Acosta added.

About 4,000 people across the central Philippines had moved to safer ground to escape high winds and flooding, the national disaster agency in Manila said.

"There is continuous flooding in some towns where the floodwater from the previous storm has yet to subside,” provincial disaster information officer Julius Regner told AFP by telephone from Cebu City.
 
Rescuers recovered the bodies of 11 people in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Saturday, a day after multiple avalanches hit their vehicles in the Himalayan region, officials said.

Multiple avalanches in Indian-held Kashmir kill 11 Saturday 6 January 2018
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1220261/world

Thirteen people were swept away by three near-simultaneous avalanches at three places in a stretch of about 10 kilometers (6 miles) on a mountainous road in Kupawara district on Friday.

Police officer Shamsher Hussain said about 200 police, army and civilian rescuers recovered the bodies of 11 people. Two people were rescued alive and were in stable condition at a hospital, he said.
 
At least 5 dead after mudslides hit Southern California Tuesday Jan 9, 2018 (Videos)
http://www.kcci.com/article/mud-wipes-out-homes-as-rains-deluge-southern-california/14853607

A fire official says five people have been killed by mudslides that swept Southern California homes from their foundations as a powerful storm drenched recent wildfire burn areas.

Santa Barbara County Fire Department Capt. Dave Zaniboni says the bodies were found in mud and debris during rescue operations Tuesday in Montecito northwest of Los Angeles.

Heavy rains were triggering dangerous flooding Tuesday morning in Southern California, with rivers of mud and debris destroying at least three homes and pooling water forcing police to close parts of the coastal US Route 101, officials said.

Near the coastal community of Montecito, at least three homes have been "wiped away by mudflow and debris," and emergency workers were scrambling to rescue people from vehicles and buildings, Santa Barbara County fire spokesman Mike Eliason said.

The heavy rain was falling in areas charred by recent wildfires, triggering fears of flash flooding and mudslides because vegetation that otherwise would hold hills together and make the terrain flood-resistant have burned away.

Thousands of people in Southern California were under evacuation orders because of flooding and mudslide fears, including in Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties.

Flooding near La Conchita has prompted the closure of parts of U.S. Route 101 in Ventura County, the sheriff's office there said Tuesday morning.

Girl rescued from California mudslide

Firefighters have rescued a 14-year-old girl from the rubble of a home devastated by a mudslide in the Montecito area of Southern California after a powerful storm hit an area ravaged by a December wildfire.

Santa Barbara County authorities say there have been five confirmed fatalities as of Tuesday morning and there is a backlog of 75 calls for rescue or evacuation from the area.

House is 'surrounded by mud'

In Montecito, a community of about 8,000 people east of Santa Barbara, Ben Hyatt told CNN on Tuesday morning that a river of mud had crashed through a neighbor's house. "Apparently one of their cars ended in their back yard. We have neighbors at (the) top of street that evacuated to their roof," Hyatt said.

His own house was "surrounded by mud," and a washing machine had drifted into his front yard, he said.

Hyatt said he was awake when power went out during heavy rain around 2:30 a.m. local time. Eventually he heard a loud swish and banging on the exterior of his house. "Mud came in an instant, like a dam breaking. (It) surrounded the house, 2 to 3 feet," he said. "Seems calm now. We feel safe. But definitely stuck here for a bit."
 
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