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CNN Live At Daybreak

Southern California Mudslides

Aired December 26, 2003 - 06:01   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: We're following a developing story out of Southern California, in the same area where wildfires stripped the landscape in October and November. This time, heavy rains have triggered massive mudslides in Santa Barbara County. Fourteen people were rescued overnight. Ten people remain missing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PETER BRIERTY, SANTA BARBARA COUNTY FIRE MARSHAL: As you can see, the situation is horrible.

JANE YAMAMOTO, KTTV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Rescuers looking for survivors battled a river of mud and debris fueled by heavy rains. It roared through a Greek Orthodox youth camp, Camp Sophia, at Waterman Canyon in Santa Barbara County.

BRIERTY: Some have been able to climb out. Some we've rescued with the support of the sheriff's office and fire departments. Conditions are absolutely horrible, getting worse.

YAMAMOTO: The mud slides come just two months after wildfires in the area left the ground bare. One firefighter said it looked like the surface of the moon.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's not a lot of vegetarian up there to hold the soil, so we're getting a lot of mud coming down from the fires that was burned out from that.

YAMAMOTO: The mud was 12 feet deep in some places, making it dangerous for rescue teams.

BRIERTY: The weather is causing problems. The weather -- the rain has washed out through very, very heavy debris flows, has washed out Old Waterman Canyon in two places. There's absolutely no way we can get equipment in there. The water is too high. It is too full of logs and fire debris. We have people standing by waiting to get in to try and do the work. It is too dangerous at this point.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: We'll get the latest on the search for those missing 10 people in the next half hour when we go live to CNN's Miguel Marquez.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired December 26, 2003 - 06:01   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: We're following a developing story out of Southern California, in the same area where wildfires stripped the landscape in October and November. This time, heavy rains have triggered massive mudslides in Santa Barbara County. Fourteen people were rescued overnight. Ten people remain missing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PETER BRIERTY, SANTA BARBARA COUNTY FIRE MARSHAL: As you can see, the situation is horrible.

JANE YAMAMOTO, KTTV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Rescuers looking for survivors battled a river of mud and debris fueled by heavy rains. It roared through a Greek Orthodox youth camp, Camp Sophia, at Waterman Canyon in Santa Barbara County.

BRIERTY: Some have been able to climb out. Some we've rescued with the support of the sheriff's office and fire departments. Conditions are absolutely horrible, getting worse.

YAMAMOTO: The mud slides come just two months after wildfires in the area left the ground bare. One firefighter said it looked like the surface of the moon.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's not a lot of vegetarian up there to hold the soil, so we're getting a lot of mud coming down from the fires that was burned out from that.

YAMAMOTO: The mud was 12 feet deep in some places, making it dangerous for rescue teams.

BRIERTY: The weather is causing problems. The weather -- the rain has washed out through very, very heavy debris flows, has washed out Old Waterman Canyon in two places. There's absolutely no way we can get equipment in there. The water is too high. It is too full of logs and fire debris. We have people standing by waiting to get in to try and do the work. It is too dangerous at this point.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: We'll get the latest on the search for those missing 10 people in the next half hour when we go live to CNN's Miguel Marquez.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com