As I write this it’s been pouring rain on and off all morning here in Orange County. Most of the side streets are flooded in my neighborhood and apparently there’s a lightning storm expected later today (something we don’t see here very often). But all of this is pretty minor compared to what some people are experiencing this week. Former talk show host Ellen DeGeneres posted this video of a creek near her home in Montecito, which is located just east of Santa Barbara.

Montecito is under mandatory evacuation. We are on higher ground so they asked us to shelter in place. Please stay safe everyone. pic.twitter.com/7dv5wfNSzG

— Ellen DeGeneres (@EllenDeGeneres) January 9, 2023

As she mentioned, the entire town was supposed to evacuate.

The entire town of Montecito, California, was told to evacuate as a storm battered the state Monday – the same day the community marked the five-year anniversary of a major mudslide that killed 23 people in 2018.

Residents of Montecito – a small town of only about 8,200 locked between the Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean – fled their homes as heavy rains threatened to bring mudslides and debris flows like the ones that wrought havoc on the Santa Barbara County community five years ago.

In nearby Santa Barbara streets were flooded.

Streets are floated in Santa Barbara’s east side. You can see a man kayaking down the street. pic.twitter.com/qrwTKtzN6e

— Ryder Christ (@RyderChristNews) January 9, 2023

This drain has turned into a fountain.

Flooding at Canon Perdido and Nopal #SantaBarbara pic.twitter.com/tzVUXyYG34

— Tracy Beeler (@sculptrix) January 9, 2023

santa barbara is crazy today pic.twitter.com/2W1jl1LGNq

— Alex Shortt (@_alexshortt) January 10, 2023

@NewsChannel312 @JohnPalminteri flooding on the corner of Cota St by Santa Barbara Junior High (yes I helped the woman!) pic.twitter.com/tVWeiI85Jy

— yailin (@mexicanmorenita) January 9, 2023

A lot of streets seem to be underwater.

🔴 CALIFORNIA | Streets are floated in Santa Barbara’s east side pic.twitter.com/RPTEwQv5Mn

— Sophia Lambert (@DV16FDS5V) January 10, 2023

And this happened in Ventura yesterday.

SoCal Rain! This UPS truck got stuck in Ventura – driver is fine and truck is now towed but be careful today! Officials warn don’t drive through floodwater. pic.twitter.com/vu41wffPbP

— Lauren Lyster (@LaurenLyster) January 9, 2023

This is from this morning.

the #ventura river in the Ventura River Preserve in #ojai – once a dry arroyo. @kpcc #kpcc #storm pic.twitter.com/qnXYWRcEf9

— Stephanie O'Neill (@ReporterSteph) January 10, 2023

Eighteen people got stranded by the rising river yesterday and had to be rescued.

#PekingInc; In total 18 victims were rescued, 1 person required medical attention for their minor injuries. 7 people were rescued using a ladder, 7 by air and 4 walked out. @VCFD @Venturaoes @CountyVentura #Vcfd #swiftwater pic.twitter.com/CUlSdpfGQY

— VCFD PIO (@VCFD_PIO) January 10, 2023

In a few cases people had to be airlifted out.

At least 12 rescues from Ventura riverbottom today. Freeways in Ventura flooded and closed. We are safe inside, keeping an eye on conditions. #flooding #Ventura #AtmosphericRiver #California pic.twitter.com/naAshcRUyD

— Miss C (@myboyzmomma) January 10, 2023

In Chatsworth, north of Los Angeles, the heavy rain caused a sinkhole to open up which swallowed two cars.

SINKHOLE SWALLOWS CARS: A road in Chatsworth collapsed in heavy rains, trapping two cars. Firefighters rescued two people while two others were able to escape. MORE: https://t.co/LK8opfnn7M pic.twitter.com/awr8MSS4WY

— FOX 11 Los Angeles (@FOXLA) January 10, 2023

If you’ve watched many films or TV shows then you’ve probably seen car chases filmed in the LA river which is normally just a concrete area with very little water in it. But not this week.

The LA river is an absolute torrent right now pic.twitter.com/wp0mtptJo6

— Jeremy Lindenfeld (@jeremotographs) January 10, 2023

Same spot this morning #LARain #LARiver #Atwatervillage pic.twitter.com/WHrTFUsfli

— JustinSiegelArt (@justinsiegelart) January 10, 2023

I don’t recognize the spot but this was apparently in LA last night.

#LARain #California #Californiastorm #californiarain #Californiaflooding #AtmosphericRiver #LosAngeles #BombCyclone #SouthernCalifornia pic.twitter.com/6QmIcGDR4h

— cornstalk pearl (@cornstalkpearl) January 10, 2023

In northern California, the town of Gilroy is also getting swamped.

Uvas Creek Flooding
📍 Christmas Hill Park, Gilroy, California pic.twitter.com/4w6YM4a3vF

— Bryan Montes Fuertes (@BRYANMONTESF05) January 10, 2023

One side of the freeway had to be shut down for 6 hours yesterday.

Parts of Highway 101 south of Gilroy are closed and an evacuation warning has been issued for some areas in Santa Clara County following a major storm on Monday, police said. https://t.co/z94PHBPmug pic.twitter.com/aTweCvSgJ2

— ABC7 News (@abc7newsbayarea) January 10, 2023

And in the Central Valley, east of Fresno, they are also having trouble keeping the highways open.

EXTREME CAUTION
STATE ROUTE 168 CLOSED at top and bottom of 4-lane.

See dramatic video from @ChpFresno Officer.

Avoid travel to Shaver Lake and above if at all possible!⚠️ @ABC30 @KSEE24 @KMPHFOX26 @CBS47 @FresnoBee @FresnoSheriff @CaltransDist6 @Cal_OES pic.twitter.com/0B2Qqgm85z

— CHP Fresno (@ChpFresno) January 9, 2023

This is another town east of Fresno:

Three Rivers, California. Flash flooding. pic.twitter.com/tr63KnGQDu

— John Curtis (@Johnmcurtis) January 9, 2023

For most of the state this has been an inconvenience with a loss of power or maybe some risk to property. But 14 Californians have died as a result of this series of storms. Unfortunately, the death toll rose yesterday after a 5-year-old boy was swept away in central California.

A 5-year-old boy was swept away in floodwaters as another powerful storm battered California on Monday, according to local authorities…

The boy’s mother was driving a truck around 7:50 a.m. near San Miguel, a central town roughly 35 miles inland from the coast. The vehicle became stranded in floodwaters while trying to cross a river.

The mother escaped the truck with the help of bystanders, but the boy was swept downstream. A flash flood warning was later issued for the region.

A search for the boy — which involved 17 firefighters, professional divers and a helicopter — uncovered only his shoe, the Cal Fire spokesperson confirmed. The boy has not been declared dead.

This is the second young boy killed in California by this storm. A toddler was killed when a tree fell onto a house last week.