January 9, 2024, marks one year since last winter’s mudslide in Los Osos, and while life has returned to normal for many of the affected residents, some still haven’t been able to return home.
“I looked out and I couldn’t believe what I saw. Couldn’t believe it,” said Alice Stone, Los Osos resident.
For Stone, time stood still on January 9, 2023. A severe breach in the stormwater retention basin near Cabrillo Estates brought mud and water down into her home along Vista Court, also damaging 18 other homes.
“Up to this light switch," Stone pointed out as she walked us through her home. "They cut it out right to about here. They cut every wall in the house because the water was seeping underneath.”
Within minutes, her house was filled with mud. Stone was forced to evacuate her home and she spent two months living with a neighbor who she had never met before January 9.
“I am thankful that we live in a place where people were so kind and helped us out and you know, I’m so thankful,” Stone said.
The 82-year-old’s home sustained $80,000 in damages.
“When we came back the next day, I said, 'Oh my God, what am I going to do?' I called my insurance and they said, 'You don’t have flood insurance, and this is a flood.' So I’m thinking, what am I going to do?” Stone recalled.
Home after home along Vista Court was damaged or destroyed, including Chad Lawson’s who lives two doors down from Stone.
“After the water went down, we had to figure out what happened. We had to figure out how to get the vehicles out, then get out. We had to get over to our other house for a while, came back, started working on the house, getting things fixed up,” Lawson said.
He says his home had nearly $500,000 in damages.
“Overall, it took about five months to get all the repairs done, to get back to where we were. Now we’re just waiting to see what’s going to happen this year with all the rains,” Lawson said.
Removing the dirt and debris from the homes took several months with the help of the community. Once that process was done, contractors came in and helped residents remodel and refurbish their homes.
“Well, it was the immediate devastation. It was probably the worst catastrophe that’s happened in Los Osos on something of that scale,” said Ron Munds, Los Osos Community Services District General Manager.
Munds says the CSD’s insurance company was able to cover the costs of damages for the homes. However, the CSD had to pay around $700,000 to repair and secure the basin for any future winter rain events.
“We had to do a complete rebuild of the area that breached and then we relined the basin and now we’re putting in routine maintenance measures where we visit the basin on a regular schedule and we make sure everything is intact,” Munds said.
The basin now has two cameras that can be monitored by the CSD, and the CSD is actively working on a disaster plan to prepare for future disasters.
Regardless, residents are still on edge anytime it rains.
“We’re definitely worried about it every time it rains. How much rain are we going to get? Is it going to be all at once or is it going to be a nice slow, steady downfall where the basin can absorb fast enough?” Lawson said.
The Los Osos Community Services District says as winter continues, they will be monitoring the basin closely whenever there is heavy rainfall.
