At least 21 people have been killed in the storm that has devastated southern California as of Jan. 21, 2018. According to local officials, at least 65 homes have been destroyed completely with 460 others sustaining damage. Other figures put the total amount of destroyed homes at 100. Two minors, a 17 year old boy and a two year old girl, remain missing.

The storm began on Jan. 9 when the powerful storm hit. Jim Shivers, the spokesman of the California Department of Transportation stated that along with homes, other major infrastructure was damaged including the U.S. 101 of Santa Barbara county, a major highway.

According to AccuWeather, rain poured over the Thomas Fire burn scar, an area affected by 2017’s Thomas Fire. The soil, hardened by the aforementioned fire, bounced incoming rain leading to mud and debris sliding down on to the area of 10,000 residents, blocking roadways and trapping residents in the area.

“It’s basically marshal law,” Montecito resident Sarah Ettman said.

Ettman also states that the harsh weather was forecasted before the rain, however multiple false alarms have hit the area in the past.

“I know that there were mandatory evacuations and there were multiple alerts and media outlets to let the residents know of potential risks,” Brad Bihun, a California Fire spokesman, said.

However, according to Ettman, not even this was enough.

“By the time we got the “get out” warning at 2:30 in the morning, if I had tried to get out I probably would have been killed, because an eighth of a mile away people drowned in their cars,” Ettman said.

There still was a safe passage to get out of there, specifically to Los Angeles, however, they are a series of mountain highways that add at least three extra hours to the trip.

Though rescue efforts are in full swing, recovery could possibly be delayed.

“The next chance of any significant rain is during the week of Jan. 28 to Feb. 3,” AccuWeather long-range meteorologist Evan Duffey said.

However, this is not a certainty according to Bihun.

“Mother nature throws us curveballs,” Bihun said, “And we just try to be ready and prepare for that.”