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Ellen DeGeneres, Oprah Winfrey talk about deadly mudslides
TV host Ellen DeGeneres and Oprah Winfrey talked about the devastation caused by mudslides in their Montecito neighbourhood in Southern California.
Los Angeles: TV host Ellen DeGeneres and Oprah Winfrey talked about the devastation caused by mudslides in their Montecito neighbourhood in Southern California.
The mudslides were caused by heavy rain which sent mud and boulders sliding down the hills stripped of vegetation by the recent wildfires in the area.
During an episode of her daytime talk show, Ellen shared how the deadly wildfires had forced her and wife Portia de Rossi to evacuate their home in Montecito, a wealthy coastal enclave north-west of Los Angeles.
"One of the things that I want to talk about is you know, we've had these terrible fires all over California and one of the hardest hit areas is where I live in Montecito. We have had mandatory evacuations," DeGeneres said.
"We were expecting rain this week and usually we're grateful for rain, especially in California, but not after the largest fire in the history of California. Sunday night, Portia and I got a call that we're under mandatory evacuation again with most of the community of Montecito," she said during her show.
Ellen said as predicted by the authorities, the rain caused heavy mudslides in Montecito. "After everything we have been through, I think a lot of people thought they were just being overly cautious, but exactly what they feared happened. The rain triggered massive mudslides. Massive."
Ellen also shared a video of the street and the area filled with mud-covered debris from fallen trees to boulders. She then FaceTimed Oprah, who also resides in Montecito and remains there.
Oprah shared what her own home looked like during the call and also showed around her neighbourhood area. "Where I am now, which is the east side of my property, I was walking down here and all of my neighbours' homes are gutted. I'm standing right now still in a lot of mud but not as much as yesterday.
"I walked out back, you know, where we share a fence line and the neighbours out back they're houses are gone. It's as devastating as can be," Oprah said.
The death toll from the mudslides that struck Southern California stood at 15 with rescue crews continuing their search for anyone trapped, injured or dead in the onslaught.