Tag archives: Debris flow

The Kitchen Angels: Debris Flow at the Casa Dorinda Retirement Community 
By Barbara T. Hadley   |   January 10, 2023

Located at the intersection of Hot Springs and Olive Mill roads, Casa Dorinda was dubbed “ground zero” for the events of January 9th. The Debris Flow occurred in the early morning hours when over 200 on-campus residents were still asleep and there was a skeleton staff of less than 10. The torrential waters skirted the […]

Get Out Now! Entries from a Holdout
By Richard Schultz   |   January 10, 2023

Richard Schultz, recently widowed, anticipated a quiet, uneventful winter at his home in Montecito, California. Instead he found himself confronted by two terrifying natural disasters – first, the Thomas Fire, the worst in California’s history at the time, burning 273,000 acres and over 200 Montecito homes, followed by the subsequent mudslide that left 23 people dead. […]

Debris Flow in Riven Rock: A Personal Journey Through a Sea of Mud
By Frank McGinity   |   January 10, 2023

I’m reluctant to report on our experiences with the January 9th flood. It was difficult because 45% of our home was damaged. We couldn’t even get into our property for a month to view the damage. Yet the final result turned out to be very successful.  But we mourn the 23 people who died as […]

The MOORE the Merrier: Confessions of a January-phobic
By Gwyn Lurie   |   January 3, 2023

Locally, we’re coming up on five years since California’s epic Thomas Fire led to Montecito’s deadly January 9, 2018 debris flow. Which this year got me to thinking about anniversaries, my love of Decembers, and my fear of Januarys, how quickly time flies, and Moore’s Law. They say March comes in like a lion and […]

Editor’s Note
By Montecito Journal   |   December 27, 2022

The past few years have seen some world-changing events, but nearly five years ago, our area went through a community-changing one. The impact that the Thomas Fire and subsequent 1/9 Debris Flow had on the area can still be felt today. Yes, in the hardship it brought, but also the strength, tenacity, and heart that […]

Citizen’s Suggestion Brings a Safer Montecito
By Gwyn Lurie   |   December 13, 2022

This week, Montecito became a little safer. On page 14 you can read about the ALERTCalifornia camera just installed on TV Hill that will provide 24/7 “eyes” on the Santa Barbara Front Country and eventually alert firefighters to new fire starts using artificial intelligence technology.  But before you read about this exciting and potentially lifesaving […]

Randall Road Debris Basin Ribbon-Cutting
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   November 1, 2022

It was a morning nearly five years in the making: on Monday, October 24, government officials, staff, contractors, and community partners celebrated the completion of the Randall Road Debris Basin in Montecito. This project dates back to the Thomas Fire and 1/9 Debris Flow when community members expressed support for a new debris basin. The […]

Bones Determined to Not Belong to Jack Cantin
By Montecito Journal   |   August 23, 2022

The remains of Jack Cantin, the teenager who went missing during the 2018 debris flow, had reportedly been found in the summer of last year by former University of California, Santa Barbara anthropology professor Danielle Kurin and her undergraduate students. While many news and media outlets (including the MJ…) announced Kurin’s claims, the Sheriff’s Department […]

One805 Live! The Bash is Back
By Steven Libowitz   |   August 9, 2022

One805’s original Kick Ash Bash was a legendary gathering that will forever be etched in the community’s consciousness. This huge star-studded event and concert in early 2018 was held at Bella Vista Ranch and Polo Club in Summerland to celebrate our community’s first responders after the Thomas Fire and Montecito debris flows. But the event’s […]

One805 Overview
By Richard Mineards   |   March 29, 2022

One805, the Santa Barbara charity founded after the Thomas Fire and devastating mudslides four years ago, hosted a boffo bash at the Montecito Club to update its many supporters on its activities. More than 70 guests listened as Richard Weston-Smith, president and co-founder, and John Thyne, a founder and chief financial officer, outlined the popular […]

Randall Road Debris Basin Moves Forward
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   March 22, 2022

This Saturday, March 19, Santa Barbara County Flood Control will take acquisition of 630 Randall Road, the final one-acre property to be acquired in which to build the Randall Road Debris Basin. After a lengthy delay, a recent ruling by the Ventura County Superior Court has given Flood Control the green light to continue building […]

TPRC Wins National Award for Ring Net Project But Work to Shield Montecito from Future Disaster Has Only Begun
By Jerry Roberts   |   March 22, 2022

In a bittersweet ceremony, Montecito’s The Project for Resilient Communities (TPRC) on Sunday received a prestigious national award for the private-public project that installed protective ring nets in canyons where deadly torrents surged down in the 1/9 disaster. Three leaders of the Virginia-based ReadyCommunities Partnership, which spotlights and supports efforts across the nation demonstrating “resiliency […]

The Future We Fear is Here
By Gwyn Lurie   |   March 19, 2022

Remember the 2018 devastating debris flow that changed Montecito forever? Those of us who lived here at the time do. Like it happened yesterday, with all the pain and loss and destruction it brought. But for those who made Montecito their home post-debris flow (or PDF as I like to call it), the knowledge of […]

‘Four Years Later, We Remember’
By Sharon Byrne   |   January 18, 2022

On January 9, a community-building memorial was held across Montecito to remember and honor the victims and survivors of the 1/9 Debris Flow. A partnership between the Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade, Montecito Association, Montecito Fire Protection District, and Westmont organized the event — and it followed the template the organizations created in 2021, for safety […]

Bucket Brigade: Building a Foundation for Local Resilience
By Steven Libowitz   |   January 13, 2022

The Santa Barbara coastal region has largely escaped any major disasters in the past year, save, of course, for the ongoing crisis with COVID-19. There haven’t been any major fires striking between Carpinteria and western Goleta, and no serious flooding despite the recent record-setting string of rainstorms.  On the other hand, some folks out by […]

Taking a Moment to Remember
By Nick Masuda   |   January 6, 2022

On Sunday, January 9, at 6:30 pm, multiple Montecito organizations will band together in remembrance of the 23 victims lost in the 1/9 Debris Flow. You can sign up to watch the fourth anniversary livestream and telecast of “Raising Our Light” here: westmont.zoom.us/j/96145574354 The event will kick off with an invocation from Montecito Fire Chief […]

Lessons from Montecito
By Nick Masuda   |   December 21, 2021

Joan Hartmann, the Santa Barbara County Third District Supervisor, didn’t even hesitate when asked why a portion of her district was evacuated with the Monday and Tuesday rain along the South Coast. “We learned a lot from Montecito,” Hartmann said. In the wake of October’s Alisal Fire that destroyed thousands of acres of land, the […]

23Strong Memorial Finds Its New Resting Place
By Nick Masuda   |   December 14, 2021

Susan Venable can’t help but get choked up a bit, as the mental images that come from weeks of helping clear out other people’s homes amid natural tragedy are something that will stick with her for the rest of her life. As an artist, the Montecito Debris Flow was chockful of visual reminders, but none […]

What’s the Risk? Upcoming community meeting to address debris flow risk ahead of winter storms
By Christina Favuzzi   |   December 7, 2021

December 4 marks four years since the Thomas Fire began its treacherous march from Santa Paula to the hills of Carpinteria and Montecito. We all remember the devastating debris flow that occurred just more than a month later. Every winter since the 1/9 Debris Flow, Montecito Fire has partnered with our local first responder and […]

Montecito Is Leading the Way
By Sharon Byrne   |   October 26, 2021

Montecito always was a place of talent, care, resources, and community. There are a lot of smart, accomplished people making this beautiful place their home. It has also suffered its share of disaster, with the biggest fire in California history at the time — the Thomas Fire in December 2017. That fire has now dropped […]