Officials are scrambling to put in basins, nets and improve predictions of where landslides might occur to keep homes and people safe.
Since New Year's Eve, the California Department of Conservation's landslide mapping team has documented more than 300 landslides.Dan Shugar, an associate professor of geoscience at the University of Calgary, said drought can have a counterintuitive effect when combined with the incredible rainfall California has seen in recent days.
Montecito is sandwiched between the Santa Ynez mountains and the Pacific coast. On the fifth anniversary of that tragedy, the entire community was ordered to evacuate on Jan. 9 as rains pummeled the area and debris blocked roads. And they are costly, said Douglas Jerolmack, a professor of environmental science and mechanical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. And if old debris isn't removed, they can be overwhelmed by new landslides or mudslides.
The tragedy galvanized the community, which raised millions to address the problem, said Patrick McElroy, a retired Santa Barbara fire chief who founded the nonprofit organization, The Project for Resilient Communities. "I'm not over it yet. But to wake up, you know, the other day and see no injuries and no fatalities. I just can't tell you how impressed I am," he said of the nets.
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