in some cases the mud is three feet deep.e of these areas are so vulnerable to mudslides because the topography is so rugged. it goes from sea level to mountains that are a few thousand feet high within just a few miles. in some cases the mud moved so fast and was so deep, it swept homes right off their foundations. when you get down to the ground, this is what you see. this is just one of the homes that has been overtaken by mud, and you hear those fire alarms. that is a sound that's going off all over this neighborhood. the 101 is one of the nation's most famous freeways, also one of its busiest, but, look, from this overpass you can see it is little more than a sink of mud and debris at this point. and look at that one car still out there stranded all alone on the 101. search-and-rescue dogs are leading the effort to find the missing tonight. carter evans tonight shows us how this disaster unfolded and the challenges still ahead for first responders. >> reporter: more than 36 hours after the floods began, search and rescue

in some cases the mud is three feet deep. some of this areas are so vulnerable to mudslides because the topography is so rugged, it goes from sea level, to moun mountains that are a few thousand feet high within a few miles. in some cases the mud moves so fast it was so deep it swept homes right off their foundations. >> when you get down to the ground this is what you see. this is just one of the homes that has been overtaken by mud. and you hear the fire alarms. that is a sound that is going off all over this neighborhood. >> the 101 is one of the nation's most famous freeways also one of the busiest. but, look, from this everpass you can see it is -- it is little more than a sink of mud. and debris. at this point. look at that one car, still, out there, stranded. all alone. on the 101. >> search-and-rescue teams were poking with sticks looking for any one trapped. >> you do like in an avalanche. you poke. feel something different figure out what it is. >> more than 100 people were rescued many from rooftops by helicopters.

got it out, the mud out of its mouth. hope it's okay. >> reporter: rescue helicopters hoisting them to safety where ambulances couldn't get in. >> mud up to my knees. >> 30 miles of highway 101 shut down. some first be responders needed rescue themselves. others ordered to evacuate in the hills that just burned. largest inferno in state history obliterated thousands of homes. where there was fire, now floods and mud. this is highway 101. down the road, big rigs stuck under five feet of mud. all coming from hillside behind me, pouring through homes. at least eight dead, 25 injured. good news, 14-year-old girl we introduced you to is in the hospital recovering. >> hard to believe watching same areas burn shortly ago. >>> sharp and stunning fall for man who helped elect a president and held one of the most powerful positions in white house. steve bannon out of brietbart barely a week after left jaws dropping in book "fire and fury." new from hallie jackson. >> reporter: a brietbart bombshell for steve bannon, stepping down l

i said there is mud in the driveway.ud in the driveway. >> it is a nightmare. >> reporter: wild fires from a month ago are making the situation worse, they charred vegetation that act as a natural barrier begins mud slide. a powerful storm is being blamed for the mess that dumped 9 inches on have rain in just 15 minutes. >>> those mud slide trying third fire fueled by a natural gas leak, oprah winfrey woke up to this scene outside her window in santa barbara, she posted this just a few hours ago. she could see rescue helicopter searching for people still missing, she also directed through her backyard where the mud there is knee deep. >>> back here at home, after seven years april kaufman was killed six years ago inside her new jersey home. now prosecutors have charged her husband with murder. >> investigators say killings stemmed from a illegal drug operation run out of the doctor's office. "eyewitness news" reporter frank do joins us live from the cbs-3 news center with reaction from april's daughter good morning, tran

heard the storm coming, mud burst through the wall. killed him. wife in the hospital with numerous injuries. so it's hurting all of us, it's very heartbreaking. >> reporter: gabrielle can't get to her home, road is gone, community unrecognizable. >> there's a house right there kids used to play with those kids. there's no sign of it. not even there. >> reporter: sheriff's office released name of the 17 dead. includes a childhood friend. >> rebecca riskin. heart goes out to family. >> reporter: search and rescue continues. california department of corrections team is working to cut down trees looking for survivors nearly 70 hours after the mud slides started. abc7 news. >>> bring in weather anchor spencer christian with a look at current conditions for rescuers. >> it is improving. little consolation but weather conditions returning to some sense of normal. live doppler 7, take you to montecito. it's mainly clear. about 59 degrees, calm wind. we expect over the next three days sunny skies friday, saturday and sunday with increase in offshore flow.

>>> making news in america this morning, disaster in the mud. more than a dozen people dead in southern california. >> and every minute that goes by, you know, you have less hope. >> homes wiped off their foundations tossed into trees. freeways turned into raging rivers. this morning, the new concern about more victims buried in mud more than five feet deep. >>> breaking overnight, a federal judge hands down a key ruling in the immigration debate throwing a wrench in the trump administration's plan to end the so-called daca program for young immigrants. >> i don't want to, you know, shut them down in any way. >> james franco speaking out for the first time since multiple actresses accused him of sexual misconduct and now an event featuring the hollywood a-lister is canceled amid the controversy. >> what are you doing? what are you doing? >> don't. >>> new details about the teacher handcuffed at a school board meeting for protesting her boss' pay raise. would she have been arrested if she were a man? >>> plus, bats invade walmart. >> this is craz

. >>> death toll from the california mud slides have risen to 17. part of highway 101, a crucial link between ventura and santa barbara was overwhelmed by mud and debris. it will be closed until at least monday. the share. said three people were hurt. among miss are gone sisters. 12-year-old sawyer and 25-year-old morgan. another sister and their mother are being treated at the hospital. 500 first responders are work to dig out the affected areas and the search for those who are missing. >> here's what the damage looks like if above. homes ripped apart. entire streets buried as rain poured in, causing powerful mud slides in far scarred areas. >> i didn't think would it ever turn into something like this. we've never seen anything like this before. >> search and rescue crews and dogs are going through affected areas, looking for anyone who may still be trapped. several people are still reported missing including this woman's friend. >> they can't find her. her boyfriend got swept away and watched her holding on to the front door. >> coast guard helic

the city saw a lot of mud during tuesday's storm. the crews have cleaned up the mess so residents can return home. in the meantime, novato, marin and others are sending help. more than two full days after mud slides devastated montecito, the search for the miss go is becoming increasingly desperate. officials raised the number of possible missing to 43. 17 people are dead. the reporter john gregory from the sister station is in montecito. >> reporter: it is day three and we're getting a hoonl how bad the damage is. you can see some of it here. a home torn apart by the debris flow. this is just one example of the type of boulder that's came rolling off the hills. pushed by the very strong right off east valley road. on both sides of the creek, the homes are pretty much wiped out. this is what came rumbling through. and then look at these trees. the rocks came down and it will. all of it pushing through with water and mud, taking out lives. search crews still searching. >> i never would have imagined with mud, the rocks, the debris fie

. >> dramatic new rescues in that mud slide disaster. including a newborn baby plucked from a rooftop. and oprah giving a firsthand tour of the damage. >>> president trump changing his tune on being interviewed by robert mueller. after previously saying he was 100% willing, what he's saying now. >>> the flu emergency and hospitals running out of i.v. bags, handing out gatorade instead. tonight, a father's warning. >> don't let it go. get it taken care of. >> his message after losing his son. >>> the teacher handcuffed and forcibly removed from a school board meeting after asking the superintendent about salaries. she's telling her story only to nbc news. >>> and all the money in the world, but a big pay gap between co-stars. why did mark wahlberg reportedly make over a million dollars for reshoots while co-star michelle williams reportedly got less than $1,000? a hollywood uproar. >>> this is nbc "nightly news" with lester holt. >>> good evening, everyone. as we come on the air in the west. distraught family members and neighbors have jo

we surrounded by mud. >> reporter: the debris field was a mile long of mud and debris field were not under mandatory evacuation. this area had a voluntary evacuation order. and when you see the thickness, this concrete-like mud i'm standing in, you see were hy soy first responders fear the worst for those missing. montecito, california. >> and the search continues in the early morning hours for many of those people who may have been buried alive. but we should point out, about an hour and a half southeast of there, there's also extensive damage in burbank where a different wildfire struck. >> the surge of mud and debris sheared off several water hydrants, the slides caused a gas leak and cut power to homes. connie wentworth is there. >> reporter: look at this car, totally damaged, mud all the way to the windows. i'm at the bottom of a hill where there was a massive mudslide. and there's another vehicle t the water was so forceful. and you can see from above, there is flooded out streets and homes and overturned rv and a ruptured gas line that temporarily trapped firefighters trying t

a catastrophic flow of mud and debris rushed towards homes. >> you could start to see some mud startingo come down, and so right then i told my wife and the dog to get up on the bed. and i thought it would be a good idea to push on the door, which didn't really last very long. so then i ran and jumped on the bed and basically in seconds it was as high as the countertops. >> reporter: emergency crews on rooftops and dogs padding through debris, searching for signs of life. >> our people are out there trying to do the best work they can and perform as many rescues as they possibly can. >> reporter: those rescuers sometimes trudging through mud that was chest high in the frantic search for the missing. >> you think someone is in there? >> we have a strong feeling someone's in that house. trying to use our sonar equipment to hear voices. >> reporter: so you think the person inside is still alive? >> not sure. >> reporter: but hope. >> yeah. >> reporter: about a mile away from there -- you see the size of these boulders, gives you a sense of the power of the water to just heave these giant t

the pools look like just regular mud. some of the canines actually fell into the pools. >> reporter: this woman lost several friends in the tragedy, and she was moved to tears seeing the firefighters covered in mud from head to toe. >> it's just moving to see them working on our behalf. >> reporter: crews have been working nonstop to clear the mud on the 101 that's at least five feet deep. >> that's nothing in comparison to half a dozen friends, personal friends that have lost their lives in this tragic event. >>> we have new details tonight on this season's flu. a san jose mother has died just 48 hours after coming down with this year's aggressive strain. 40-year-old katie thomas was a marathon running mother of three. the flu has reached epidemic levels in the u.s. in the bay area alone there's been one death in marin county, one in solana county, six in contra costa county. this year the flu virus is especially active, and the predominate train is one of the more -- strain is one of the more vicious types. >> people in

showed upside down cars in mud-covered roads. danielle nottingham is in santa barbara county. >> firefighters rescued a 14-year-old girl who was trapped in a montecito home. officials say she was for hours. search dogs are being used to look for more victims on the ground. from the air, the u.s. coast guard pulled residents to safety. an avalanche of debris shut down 30 miles of highway 101 near carpenteria. >> the mud slide surrounded my car and it pushed my car all the way to the left-hand side of the road. >> with the muddy mess the winter storm flooded creeks and roadways to santa barbara and los angeles counties trapping cars and people. thousands of people were forced to evacuate again after surviving several recent wild fires. >> peoples whose homes survived the thomas fires are now face wednesday this. impassable roads and driveways filled with mud. >> i said i just can't do it again.

. >>> developing right now mud slide in california have left 13 people dead and we are live with the update on the damage left behind. >>> and daca program will go on as president trump and lawmakers try to come to an agreement on immigration and border security, a federal judge temporarily revived the program that protects young immigrants from deportation, i'm hena doba with more on the late night ruling ahead. >>> sky scan three with live look at center city high atop cbs-3 studios, chilly start, but our winter warm up, will continue. today is wednesday, january 10th, good morning, i'm jim donovan. >>> i'm rahel solomon. katie and meisha are getting us out the door. good morning, guys. >> happy hump day we are looking outside, everything is looking okay, slick, we were talking about this all morning , it was on my commute and we have an accident out there. it is, a few minutes ago, half an hour ago, we have had no accident. i jinked it again. >> yeah, yeah. you just to have worry about that refreeze that take place from yesterday it felt down right balmy outside would i say by com

we got the mud out of its mouth.ender, john worboys, have written to the national probation service, asking for him to be banned from the greater london area. a body has been found in a garden near stockport, after a woman told police she'd killed a man "a number of years ago". thousands of tourists have been left stranded after heavy snow in the alps cut off towns and villages across switzerland, france and italy. in a moment it will be time for sportsday, but first a look at what else is coming up this evening on bbc news. we'll be hearing about claims that cancer patients are facing possible delays to their treatment at an oxford hospital because of a shortage of staff. in beyond 100 days we'll be hearing why america's republican party is struggling as another top conservative calls it a day. and we will review the papers at 20 to 11. that's all ahead on bbc news. now on bbc news it's time for sportsday. hello and welcome to sportsday — i'm hugh ferris. our headlines tonight: knocked out of the fa cup in his first

heard the storm coming, mud burst through the wall. killed him. wife in the hospital with numerous injuries. so it's hurting all of very heartbreaking. >> reporter:le can't get to her home, road is gone, community unrecognizable. >> there's a house right there kids used to play with those kids. there's no sign of it. not even there. >> reporter: sheriff's office released name of the 17 dead. includes a childhood friend. >> rebecca riskin. heart goes out to family. >> reporter: search and rescue continues. california department of corrections team is working to cut down trees looking for survivors nearly 70 hours after the mud slides started. abc7 news. >>> bring in weather anchor spencer christian with a look at current conditions for rescuers. >> it is improving. little consolation but weather conditions returning to some sense of normal. live doppler 7, take you to montecito. it's mainly clear. about 59 degrees, calm wind. we expect over the next three days sunny skies friday, saturday and sunday with increase in offshore flow. santa ana winds w

got the mud out of its mouth. i'm hoping it is okay. >> daring rescues playing out in the mountains of mud. downtown montecito just last month under threat from fire is now under water. oprah posting, praying for our community again. helicopters rescuing my neighbors. even including instagram video of her own mud-soaked backyard. >> the house in back is gone. >> reporter: the coast guard plucking more than 50 from rising waters, even first responders needed rescued. today, 14-year-old lauren canton is lucky to be alive. this morning, the race is on to save more victims just like her. but there is fear time may be running out. >> we're all hoping for the best there. miguel almaguer reporting there. >>> right now, search teams are back checking for survivors. >>> and we have a crew in santa barbara county this morning. our reporter anousha rasta joins us earlier in this newscast and she's actually tweeting out those updates from the region. follow @nbcbayarea on twitter as well as facebook for more pictures and vide

and i was in my boots, and i just said "there's mud in the driveway, there's mud in the driveway!"woodruff: today, rescue crews kept digging through mud and debris in search of survivors. more than 50 people have been rescued so far. many, including this family of five, were airlifted out, plucked from their rooftops by the coast guard. and, crews from the santa barbara county fire department pulled a 14-year-old girl from her destroyed home in montecito on tuesday. she had been trapped there for hours. robert riskin was still looking for his mother late yesterday, as he searched through her home. >> it's my mom. and i'm fighting with all my heart to find her. but, like, i can't focus too i've just been clawing through the mud. and it's hard to hold hope when the mud is so deep. >> woodruff: it is believed hundreds are still trapped or missing around montecito. the storm also triggered mudflows and flash flooding across parts of nearby los angeles and ventura counties this week, submerging highways and cars. officials say there's no telling how long the region's recovery will take,

cars stuck in mud. intersections inundated with water. in burbank, a debris basin partially collapsing. >> there was a lot of water that rushed down this hillside. >> reporter: officials fear the number of people dead could rise. about two dozen people are unaccounted for. and there are at least 25 people injured. maggie and kendis? >> it really does look like a war zone out there. thanks to you. and the weather we should point out will be good for the search and rescue operations today. >> for more on the forecast, here's accuweather's paul williams. >> good morning maggie, good morning kendis and good morning to drier weather for southern california. we will see snow over towards the inland or the east. but we're going to dry out for today and not just today, we're expecting for it to continue to dry out going into thursday as well. now for the northwest, that's not the case. to the north, we're watching for another chunk of rain to dump into the northwest. and then for the weekend a touch of snow and ice. >> as long as it's mostly rain

you can see home after home devastated by mud. other parts of southern california are also hard hit. here's abc news reporter marcie gonzalez. >> reporter: a desperate, difficult effort through thick mud. >> mud is so deep. >> reporter: to find the two dozen people still missing in southern california. >> my mom and i'm fighting with all my heart to find her. >> reporter: an emotional and so far unsuccessful search for robert's mother. disappeared when heavy run unleashed mudslides. >> hurricane or freight train. >> reporter: this is the same area still recovering from the thomas fire. the largest inferno in california history destroyed vegetation and ig that could stop the flow of this fast-moving mud and debris. it's now killed at least 15 people in santa barbara county. >> we couldn't get out in time. >> reporter: multimillion dollar mansions left buried, so deep in places only the chimneys are visible. >> it looked like a battlefield. >> reporter: ellen degeneres showing the flooded 101 freeway. >> this is how deep the mud is.

. >> deadly mud slide and flash flooding a powerful storm devastates southern california this morning the frantic race against time to save people, trapped, by the mud. >>> and another night, another water main break this time manayunk residents take to social media to show steady stream rushing down their street. >>> milder but don't let that warm up catch you off guard isis a concern for morning commute. it is wednesday january 10th good morning aim jim donovan. >>> i'm a hell solomon. lets check the forecast with katie and traffic with meisha. >> yes, not so much. >> it was a little slippery on my drive-in, we will be dealing with that and very wet as well. we will have another slow commute, no doubt good news for first time in a long time we have waking up with no accidents. >> the problem was, you know we warm up, it that you had out but anything that didn't totally dry up now we're below freezing and it will refreeze. until it is completely thought and dried out you may run into this for now. but, we are going to continue a warming trend in the days ahead. that will help that al

she was trapped in her home after flowing mud and debris tore her house apart. johnny show -- >>reporter: crews try to clear critical roads for emergency responders. the storm swept across ventura, santa barbara and los angeles county about 2:30 tuesday morning while many were home sleeping. >> it sounded like a freight train coming down the hill. you could hear these boulders running down. >> there were -- some of the worst damage was in montecito. the community of 9,000 people including many celebrities. oprah winfrey posted video on instagram of mud outside her home and the helicopter she said was saving a neighbor. muds and water pushed cars off streets and brought down trees and power lines and moved massive boulders across roads and rescuers were trying to reach people in their homes. some houses were swept completely -- one 14-year-old girl was rescued after spending trapped in mud up to her neck. >> this is the worst we have seen. we thought the fire was terrible and this is devastation. >> the santa barbara sheriff compare it's to a war zone. >> it look

crews spent hours pushing the mud out of the house with brooms. >> there is still a lot of mud. after all day and all night, it is still coming down in front of our house. >> glenda and kirk collins live nearby and say they are amazed at the impact from one broken fire hydrant. >> not that i understand how long it got to turn it off, yeah, i don't know why it took an hour or more. >> reporter: east bay mud said it took so long to shut off the line because of the accident. >> typically those are quicker to turn off because the fire department can turn those off. but yes, this is a little unusual. it is a quantity of water. but having a car on top of that hydrant makes it extremely difficult. >> reporter: for two hours last night, water gushed out of the broken hydrant, sending mud and debris cascading down the hills and into at least half a dozen homes. >> probably looking at one to two weeks until it's fully cleaned out and dried out, and including all the demo that will be needed. from there we'll do the reconstruction. >> the biggest crew now is the potential for rain this wee

from the mud here the rescue effort is still underway.ties say at least 300 people are still trapped, some 50 were plucked from the mud by helicopter. >> one by one, firefighters rescued victims from the muck and debris. they carried out a girl on a stretcher, she and others had been trapped in the mud for several hours. survivors were driven to higher ground. >> this is the worse i have ever seen. we thought the fire was terrible than is absolute desolation. >> the thomas fire burned more >> reporter: in december, the thomas fire burned more than a quarter million acres here. when the rains began, those barren hillsides exacerbated the problem. homes and streets in the exclusive montecito community were buried under feet of mud and debris. >> oh, my god, it is 100% covered in mud. >> reporter: it made for a nightmare morning commute across southern california as cars and trucks on several major roads got stuck in the mud. this is the normally busy 101 freeway. at one point today, up to 30 miles of it were shut down. some of the roadway w

mud and managed to pull it out alive.e dug down, we found a little baby. we got it out, got the mud out of its mouth. houses have been crushed by boulders the size of small cars — which rolled down the hillside after heavy rain — the first for months. we'll have the latest from california where rescuers are hoping to find more survivors. also this lunchtime. cancer patients face possible delays to their treatment at an oxford hospital because of a shortage of staff, claims a leading doctor. british manufacturing is riding high. figures show output has reached its highest level in ten years. thousands of people are trapped in the swiss resort of zermatt after heavy snowfall — one british skier waiting to be airlifted out says its been worrying. we just tried to stay as safe as possible, and eliminate any risk rather than taking any risks and going out walking. and billy the whizz. the teenage racing driver is back behind the wheel nine months after losing both legs in an horriffic crash. and coming up in the sport on bbc n

you look out there you can see all of these homes surrounded in mud.w video shows the power and speed. an empty car in burbank flooding down the street as a muddy mess washes downhill. >> oh, my god, mom. >> reporter: marco and his family scrambling to safety as a wall of mud hits their home. clo >> close the door. >> reporter: the lucky ones surviving the ordeal. the death toll is rising, at least 17 people have been killed including the founder of a catholic school. pictures is your facing of some of the missing. peter last seen at his montecito home. and ken hasn't been heard from since tuesday. >> this is unbelievable. >> reporter: the evacuations still ongoing. it can take weeks or mon. >> marin county is sending a search and rescue team to montecito. california air national guard members based in silicon valley are already down there. they posted these photos. >>> the end of an era for a neighborhood falling into the ocean. >> the very last red-tagged house coming down. amy hollyfield is live in pacifica. >> reporter: hi, natasha. take one last l

continue to pick through mud survivors. as night fell, an unknown number of residents remained unaccounted for following monday's mudslides. >> so loud, it was just a constant roar. >> reporter: there have already been son-in-law dramatic rescues made of people trapped in the mud for hours. >> it looked leaker known a battlefield. it was literally a carpet of mud and debris everywhere. >> reporter: this disaster began with a storm that dumped nearly 9 inches of rain in just 15 minutes. the water triggered mudslides on the hills left barren by wildfires. >> this is way scarier than that. at least fires, you can see them coming. >> reporter: evacuation orders had been ordered below the santa ynez mountains but it's unclear how many heeded the warning. >> when i heard about the evacuation yesterday, i thought, i couldn't evacuate again. i didn't think it would be this bad. >> reporter: several roads were covered beneath mud including this one, the 101. it's now closed until further noticed. today's forecast calls for clearer w

mud, six feet deep in some areas. one girl was rescued after spending hours trapped in mud up to her neck. >> this is the worst i have ever seen it, we thought the fire was terrible but this is absolute devastation. >> reporter: they are comparing it to a war zone.>> it looks like a world war i battlefield. it was a carpet of mud and debris. >> reporter: search dogs have been called in to help people, they mobilize black op -- they mobilize the blackhawk helicopter crews. the mudslides are a reminder of the danger for the bay area after the fires and napa and sonoma county. >> anywhere below the burn, and a valley or near a creek or river are highly susceptible to having the sloughing and mud flows -- all the things we are seeing.>> reporter: rescue teams say they are ready if the threat in california shifts from fire to winter rain. officials say it is very important for people to pay attention. officials say 10-15% of the residents followed the mandatory evacuation order issued before the rain came. >>> let's go ove

there are tons of mud as well as branches from trees. that is why heavy equipment is trying to haul all of this away. the expectation is the freeway will be closed at least for another day or two. take a look at some of the cars that had to be towed from the road near the 101 freeway. the overnight mud slide caught this community by surprise. it led to the shutdown of a number of businesses. people in the area say they lost electricity and internet access for some time today. people learned about the devastation. this afternoon they reported this dramatic cell phone video of an air lift on the 101. a driver was trapped by the car after being surrounded by mud. rescuers said they needed to hoist them to safety. >> we were just shouting like all right, awesome, you know, good job, thanking the sheriffs and the fire department, everyone who has been working so hard in saving lives and protecting property and people. >> reporter: the santa barbara county sheriff said at least 13 people have died from the mud slide. this is a town where every

dozens of homes were flooded with mud. firefighters had to pull people out in the middle of the night including a 14-year-old girl who was said to be stuck for hours. other homes were swept away in at least three caught fire after a gas leak and transformer explosion. other people had to be rescued from their cars via helicopter. authorities say only 20% of the 21,000 people told to evacuate actually followed orders. coming back live now there are many people tonight who are still without water and power and they are cut off from their homes. the 101 free may -- freeway is said to be close for at least another couple days. a bit concern is will the death toll rise overnight? >> with those roads blocked it seems like it would be hard for rescuers to get to the homes where people might be trapped or unaccounted for. >> reporter: that is part of the problem. imagine they had to do this in the middle of the night. people were calling 911 and a lot of times those rescuers could not get to the people until they could get help th

a trapped driver was surrounded by mud. rescuers had to break the window, pull him out and save him. >> we were shouting, awesome, good job, thanking law enforcement, fire department, everyone who is working so hard and saving lives and protecting property and people. >> reporter: the santa barbara sheriff says at least 13 people have died from the mudslide. people here say this is a town where everyone knows their neighbors. >> a good friend of mine whose name i won't mention lost a father-in-law. i still have two friends missing right now. so it's devastating. >> reporter: as you can see here, the shops are closed right now because of all the mud that's in the area. in fact, crews have their heavy equipment out to try to clear out the mud. the montecito infrared satellite is evacuated because of the mud. there are a number of cars in the parking lot. they will stay there until the mud is cleared. gas, power and water service will be off in the city for the foreseeable future. in montecito, jeff nguyen, kpix 5. >> devastat

in fact, a 14-year-old girl pulled from the mud and the wreckage alive. but not everyone has been saved, and the death toll is growing. abc's matt gutman leads us off from california. >> reporter: tonight, rescuers trudging through chest-high mud in the frantic search for the missing. >> we have multiple reports of people trapped. >> reporter: up to five inches of rain surging through creek beds with titanic force. >> it's our worst fear coming to life for us right now. our people are out there trying to do the best work they can and perform as many rescues as they possibly can. >> reporter: the thomas fire, largest in california history, denuded the nearby hills of vegetation and anything that would absorb the water. overnight, the famed 101 freeway overrun. we're retreating here and you can actually feel debris hitting our car right now. closed for 30 miles in both directions. and you can see how fast that water is moving here. i mean, that is a torrent of water. >> reporter: at least eight killed and over two dozen injured. rescuers piling in overnight

victims who may still be trapped in the mud. reporter randy page is inmontecito where they are hoping for a miracle. >> reporter: there's been so much tragedy here in montecito over the past few days, but here is one of the miracles. it is an all-out search for survivors from the air and on the ground. firefighters go door to door and cover inch by muddy inch hoping to find some sign of life in this lifeless landscape. search dog handlers we spoke to say they haven't had any luck today, but they say they have plenty more ground to cover. it will soon be that pivotal moment when the search for survivors turns into a recovery effort. but these firefighters, they are not ready to give up yet. >> there is a person with a flashlight over there calling for help. >> reporter: santa barbara county fire captain brian hernandez was on this spot a few minutes after the wall of mud and debris came through here early tuesday morning. >> one of the other captains said i hear something. so we all stopped, and we heard crying. >> reporter: capt

thigh high mud until day two. >> i didn't tell my folks to evacuate. that was an emotional moment. >>> and at least 17 people in the community not confirmed dead. >> i know people personally who have died. >> after days of searching -- >> i'm fighting with all my heart to find her. >> robert learning his mother rebecca, a prominent realtor here, is among the victims. at least seven others are still missing. >> reporter: and rescuers say because there are still areas they've not been able to access, there is a chance that some of the missing could still be found alive. live in burbank. marcy gonzalez, abc7 news. >> we see how widespread the damage is. any estimate on how much destruction there has been? or is it just too early? >> reporter: we're hearing some pretty staggering numbers from officials. that 65 homes were destroyed. but nearly 450 others were damaged. so some of those residents and homeowners have been returning today to see if there is anything left to salvage. >> live in burbank. thank you. >>> we have new pictures of the reinforcements

a desperate, difficult effort through thick mud. >> the mud is so deep -- >> to find the two dozen people still missing in southern california. >> my mom i'm fighting with all of my heart to find her. i can't focus on the fact she is most likely dead out here. >> an emotional and unsuccessful search for robert's mother who disappeared when heavy rain unleashed massive mudslides. >> it sounds like a hurricane or freight train. >> after the largest wild fire destroyed vegetation and anything to stop the flow of this fast moving mud and debris and has killed at least 15 people in santa barbara county. >> we couldn't get out in time. multimillion-dollar mansions covered in mud and only the chimneys could be seen. >> it looks like a world war 1 battlefield. >> how deep the mud is and oprah sharing this video of her backyard. >> some signs of hop the coast guard rescuing this family of five and today 14-year-old lauren recovering in the hospital after being pulled caked in mud from the rubble. crews searching for her father and brother. >> and we are also seeing damage here in los angeles count

home after home, they have been hit with the wall of mud.in this neighborhood, several people are missing. the official total for the death toll stands at roughly 15 with 24 missing but we expect both of those numbers to be fluid in the coming days. you may be able to hear overhead helicopters. we've seen u.s. coast guard helicopters looking for any possible survivors. yesterday, they plucked more than 50 people from cruise rescuers were wading through chest-high mud. >> and the situation is still very unstable, i would think, because it's mud you're dealing with. >> reporter: absolutely, doreen. the mud here is slowly beginning to harden here but for the most part, it's still soft and like quicksand in many areas. we've been with first responders and quickly they sank in. that's the danger. that's also the danger local residents faced who have made their way back in here to look for the missing loved ones. first responders are asking everyone to stay out of this area except for the media who are traveling with them because the situation is