LOS ANGELES — Andre Christou watched as the storms that have drenched much of California over the last two weeks turned from serene to scary in the remote wooded community of Matilija Canyon in Los Padres National Forest. She listened to a swollen creek push boulders down the canyon and saw its muddy, rushing waters swallow trees like sticks.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said 17 inches of rainfall over the course of one week left “towering piles of rock and mud” as high as 40 feet in some locations, blocking the single road into and out of the canyon. A part of Matilija Canyon Road collapsed into a raging creek below. Last week, Christou joined other residents who were evacuated by a Ventura County Sheriff’s Office helicopter.
“We have been staying with friends in town until we find a way to return back home,” said Christou, 56, adding that it’s unclear when that will be. “We’ve turned into nomads for a bit.”
