General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Who's going to their cities "Women's March" next Saturday? [View all]Hekate
(90,674 posts)Ventura was badly hurt; the fire came down into the city right to the back lot of City Hall. We moved here from Goleta last September, so we have connections up and down the Central Coast and have been close to fire before, but not quite so personally.
Our neighborhood was lucky, as only one house was lost despite our little valley being blackened all over. Firefighters saved us. Other neighborhoods where we looked at houses for sale last year are just gone.
Our adult kids in Santa Barbara had to evacuate as well; worse for our daughter as she had a baby just out of the NICU and was fully in the smoke at Montecito.
Rain. Ventura was lucky. We only got half an inch spread out over many hours. We were in the voluntary evac zone, and I stared at the blackened and denuded hill right across the street from us with my fingers crossed while my husband refused to budge and told me of the excellent drainage on our street.
Montecito, where our daughter lives, got a "cell" wherein the half inch came down on the kiln-forged and denuded hills in 5 minutes, and then more, and I think another "cell." Many in the voluntary evacuation zone were swept away. She lives in a rental on high ground, and was spared. But friends of hers have lost their lives and others whose houses were saved from the fire have now lost their homes. She is in a state of shock and mourning.
I showed my husband some of the FB posts from survivors' cell phones -- the wall of mud and debris came on like a tsunami, absolutely no way to escape. He said he would leave next time we get such an order, but between you and me, since we have two cars, I won't wait for his decision if he hesitates again.
Highway 101 is closed indefinitely between here and there.