The Santa Barbara County Supervisors expressed serious concern during a special meeting held Wednesday about the potential for mudslides and flooding from the slippery burn scars created by the Thomas Fire.
“This has got the potential to be catastrophic,” County Supervisor Peter Adam warned. “At this point we are at the mercy of Mother Nature.”
The concern is shared by the county’s Office of Emergency Management, whose staff is monitoring the weather “all of the time,” said the department’s director Robert Lewin. He explained they are identifying impacted areas, clearing debris, and working with Cal Fire and Forest Service teams to assess rocky hillsides.