The death toll from the powerful debris flows that hit the southern California community of Montecito rose to 15 on Wednesday. In a statement to Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Santa Barbara County spokeswoman Yaneris Muniz confirmed two more deaths in addition to those reported in the hours after a storm dropped a huge amount of rain on the community early Tuesday. Parts of Santa Barbara and neighboring Ventura counties—both northwest of Los Angeles—were devastated by a massive wildfire last month, and the charred terrain created by one of the biggest blazes in California history makes the area more vulnerable to landslides. Authorities Wednesday were trying to reach new areas and dig into the destruction to find dead, injured, or trapped people after the mud flow swept away dozens of homes. By Tuesday night, at least 13 people were confirmed dead, at least 25 were injured, and at least 50 needed to be rescued by helicopter. Those numbers cold increase when search-and-rescue teams reach new areas Wednesday.
