Montecito homeowners include celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres and Prince Harry and his wife, actress Meghan Markle (pic). Photo: AP
The Southern California coastal town of Montecito - a seaside haven for celebrities and billionaires - is under an evacuation order after the latest torrential downpour that’s drenched the state.
The area is forecast to receive even heavier rainfall later on Monday after being dumped with 5 inches from the early morning, the Montecito Fire Department said in a Twitter post.
The town has some of America’s most-expensive real estate. It had an average median home sale price of US$4.2mil in November. Montecito homeowners include celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres and Prince Harry and his wife, actress Meghan Markle.
Nearby communities located west of the city of Santa Barbara are under a shelter-in-place order.
"The heaviest rain is yet to come this afternoon and evening,” the Montecito Fire Department said in the tweet. "If your home is within the evacuation order area, please leave now.”
Read More: Brutal California storm shuts highways, forces evacuations
Five years ago, mudslides that affected Montecito led to 23 deaths. – Bloomberg
