Oprah Winfrey, other celebs with Montecito homes share images of mud damage

Wednesday, January 10, 2018
MONTECITO, Calif. -- Oprah Winfrey, who owns a home in flood-ravaged Montecito, woke up Tuesday to a gas-fueled fire in her neighborhood, mud piled deep in her backyard and a neighbor's house destroyed.

BEFORE AND AFTER: Highway 101 in SoCal flooded with runoff water from Montecito Creek

Winfrey provided Instagram videos of her feet wading in deep mud in her backyard, and a rescue helicopter flying overhead.
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"This is how deep the mud is," she said, sloshing through the muck up to her knees. "And the house in back is gone."



"What a day! Praying for our community again in Santa Barbara," she wrote.

Montecito is known as the home to a number of prominent entertainment industry figures. Many of them were sending messages of support to neighbors whose lives or homes were lost.

Rob Lowe wrote: "Mourning the dead in our little town tonight. Praying for the survivors and preparing for whatever may come. #Montecito."
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He also noted that his neighbor Winfrey's home was being used as a staging ground for helicopter rescues.



Ellen DeGeneres tweeted a picture of her neighborhood and wrote: "This is not a river. This is the 101 freeway in my neighborhood right now. Montecito needs your love and support."



Retired Cowboys quarterback and TV analyst Troy Aikman wrote: "Montecito has been a special place for me and my family for many years but it's a place that's been hit hard in recent weeks. My prayers are with all of those impacted by the latest mudslides."
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Model Bella Hadid noted that she grew up in Montecito and was devastated to see her hometown under water.



"Completely under water," Hadid wrote. "I really can't believe it. I am praying and thinking so much for our friends in the hospital and their families that are still missing."

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