Numerous celebrities are among those being forced to evacuate Montecito amid concerns over a fierce winter storm in the area, multiple sources have reported.
According to TMZ, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Oprah Winfrey, Rob Lowe, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Ellen DeGeneres are just some of the celebrities who have been forced to evacuate their homes.
The outlet has detailed that the town has been hit with close to ten inches of rain during the last 24 hours, and it doesn't look as if the rainfall will stop any time soon. Trees and shrubbery have fallen onto roadways and blocked paths, making evacuation increasingly difficult.
Many people have taken to Twitter to share footage of the growing damage to their local communities, with one person posting a video of a man kayaking down a flooded street in Santa Barbara County (which includes Montecito). "Streets are floated in Santa Barbara's east side. You can see a man kayaking down the street," he wrote.
The winter storm comes just five years after a fatal mudslide rocked the Montecito community - killing 23 people and destroying over 128 homes. A community remembrance event had been planned to commemorate that fatal day in 2018, however, it was forced to be canceled amid the growing storm threat.
Ellen also took to Instagram to show the raging muddy waters flowing past her home, telling fans: "Montecito is under mandatory evacuation. We are on higher ground so they asked us to shelter in place. Please stay safe everyone."
She added in the video: "This is crazy on the five-year anniversary. We are having unprecedented rain - this creek next to our house never flows, ever. It's probably about nine feet up [...] we need to be nicer to Mother Nature because Mother Nature is not happy with us.
"Let's all do our part. Stay safe, everybody."
Police departments have taken to social media to warn residents to avoid certain areas. The Santa Barbara Police Department tweeted: "DON'T WALK WHERE YOU CAN'T SEE! Please be careful if walking during this storm! Be vigilant and look out for manhole covers that might have been removed & and downed power lines."
Santa Barbara Airport even announced that they were closed due to the significant rainfall, writing: "The Santa Barbara Airport is currently CLOSED due to flooding. All commercial flights are canceled until further notice, and the terminal is closed."
Last week, the Montecito Fire Department said on Twitter: "It is normal to experience feelings of fear, anxiety & sadness as we approach the 5-year mark of the 1/9 Debris Flow, especially with the current weather conditions & evacuation order."
This week, CNN reported that emergency services responded to over 200 calls due to heavy rains on Monday alone, with officials in the area telling residents: "LEAVE NOW! This is a rapidly evolving situation [...] be prepared to sustain yourself and your household for multiple days if you choose not to evacuate."
