Montecito, which sits close to Santa Barbara on the Pacific coast, is about ten miles north of Los Angeles. Around 10,000 residents are affected by the evacuation, which is being carried out on the day five years after 25 people died in a landslide in the community.
In Santa Cruz County, west of San Jose, 32,000 people have been forced to leave their homes after the heavy rains that hit California. In the state capital, Sacramento, tens of thousands are still without power after more than 350,000 households lost power over the weekend.
Governor Gavin Newsom says twelve people have died in the past ten days as a result of the rainfall and its aftermath. President Joe Biden has declared a state of emergency to free up resources.