SkyMap7 technology offers a glimpse of what the upscale neighborhoods looked like before the heavy trains triggered massive debris flows. The footage then displays a live image of the devastated landscape.
RELATED: Mudslides prove their destructive power in Santa Barbara County
San Ysidro Canyon, in the foothills above Montecito, is part of the Thomas Fire's sprawling burn area. When winter's first major storm arrived earlier this week, San Ysrido Creek overflowed with mud.
VIDEO: SkyMap7 technology shows mud-soaked 101 Fwy in Montecito
SkyMap7 technology shows mud-soaked 101 Fwy in Montecito
"The river and the mud and the debris completely took that house right off of its foundation and buried it," said Air7HD reporter Scott Reiff, describing the scene.
Several nearby houses were either destroyed or heavily damaged.
VIDEO: Homes ripped from foundations by mudslide in Montecito
Homes ripped from foundations by mudslide in Montecito
In some cases, the destruction was so complete that it was unclear what became of the residences.
"It's hard to tell where that structure went -- if it's under the mud or was washed down the creek," Reiff said of one home.
BEFORE AND AFTER: Highway 101 in SoCal flooded with runoff water
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