Cars that were washed away are piled up on the banks of Romero Creek in Montecito, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018. Dozens of homes were swept away or heavily damaged Tuesday as downpours sent mud and boulders roaring down hills stripped of vegetation by a gigantic wildfire that raged in Southern California last month. (AP Photo/Michael Owen Baker)
January 10, 2018
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January 10, 2018 2:16 p.m.
Death toll hits 15 in California mudslides; 24 missing
MONTECITO, Calif. — The death toll from the mudslides that struck Southern California climbed to 15 on Wednesday, with 24 people unaccounted for, as rescue crews searched for anyone trapped, injured or dead in the onslaught that smashed homes and swept away cars.