Google maps took me on a long, circuitous trail to the clients' home due to road closures. When I arrive, I see that their home is only one among a couple of dozen sprawling homes that was impacted minimally by mud flow and raging waters. It was because their foundation is 4' feet off the ground, and the Montecito Creek that flowed midway through their property separating house from pool and tennis courts was the basin for collecting debris and mud, everything went to the ocean not far away.
It was a saving grace!
It was sobering. The husband was on travel, wife home with daughter and dogs. It was dark at 3:30am when the mudflow occurred. When daylight came, she was shocked at the street scene. They have evacuated 5 times since December due to fires and floods. They are so grateful to have survived. Good friends and neighbors not so fortunate. They sold a home in Orange county to pay for major cleanup and reconstruction. They were going to build a pool cabana, but no permits are being issued these days. I suggested a yurt as a temporary remedy. The bridge over the creek was damaged and not safe to cross. The property needs complete re-landscaping. They have new rocks in their yard!
I asked them if they will stay, and hubby said after 29 years here with his bride, he's going no where. This is home, where they raised their children. All out of college now, kids will be coming home with their kids. There to stay.
It's an eerie landscape, houses remaining are boarded up, excavation is active removing debris, rocks and downed trees. Homes where children romped and laughed are completely gone or about to be demolished. Mud everywhere. Sad...one of the oldest communities in California will never be the same.
This is the new norm. Climate change is here to stay. It's a vicious circle.
https://www.wired.com/story/montecito-is-everything-bad-about-climate-change-in-a-single-california-town/
Crazy times. Downtown SB where I had more signings was hectic with the march attended by over a thousand people for gun law changes. I couldn't make my exodus fast enough.
It's a PJ day, sun is out but it's cold, everything for now is beautiful, clean and green, lake is 40% full after major rain...until the next drought.
Let's hope for a decent month end.
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