In the annals of South Coast disasters, San Ysidro Creek stands out for the awesome power of its terrifying debris flows.
Swollen by heavy rains after wildfires, the creek periodically roars down the mountainside in a torrent of mud and rocks, cutting a swath of destruction through the heart of Montecito.
The last time was the deadliest. Four people were killed near San Ysidro Creek on January 9, when a catastrophic debris flow of mud, boulders, downed trees and pieces of buildings slammed into seven homes on Randall Road, dropped a field of boulders at the west end of Glen Oaks Drive and engulfed East Valley Lane as it raced to the sea. In all, dozens of homes along the creek were damaged or destroyed. Nine buildings at La Casa de Maria, a spiritual retreat just above Randall, were reduced to rubble.