A mudslide forced some Los Osos residents to evacuate their homes Monday afternoon.
CAL FIRE was called to the scene along a portion of Vista Court near Montana de Oro around 4:45 p.m.
Officials say crews arrived on scene close to 5 p.m. and once on Montana Road, noticed mud and other debris, like barbecues, coming down the road. It was described by one incident commander as similar to a flash flood.
Officials say about 15 homes in the Vista Court area sustained damage, adding that at one point, water was about three feet high into the homes, impacting garage doors and more. Further up the hill, CAL FIRE says damage was discovered to another five homes.
Approximately 20 homes in Los Osos were severely damaged by floodwaters. The damage happened in the vicinity of Vista and Montana Roads. #SLOCounty crews are on scene assessing damage. pic.twitter.com/YhNheVOTyP
— County of SLO (@CountyofSLO) January 10, 2023
Residents were told to go to Ralphs grocery store in Los Osos before being notified of nearby evacuation centers.
“Mud was coming down, water was coming down right through peoples’ houses. They sent all of the emergency equipment there, we had the fire department, sheriff, and they took a quick evaluation and asked everyone to evacuate as quickly as possible,” the couple told KSBY. “It’s like a tidal wave, but it’s like two feet of mud and water coming down the street and out of the houses, so it was pretty scary.”
CAL FIRE says no one was injured and no rescues were needed.
All the water is out of the homes but the damage is still visible. Cleanup is expected to take place Tuesday.
Residents were told to leave their homes but are allowed back with ID/proof of address.
Those displaced can go to evacuation centers set up locally, including one in Los Osos and two in Morro Bay.
