Bay Area residents brace for possible landslides: 'We are kind of maxed out'
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A chimney stands at a hillside home destroyed by the CZU Lightning Complex fire in Brookdale, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 9, 2020. Scientists and residents worry that charred hillsides will produce mudslides when winter rains hit.Noah Berger / Special to The Chronicle
Santa Cruz mountain residents are bracing for the first major storm of the season - preparing to either flee or face blocked roads, downed power lines and in the worst case scenario, life-threatening landslides.
With heavy wind and rain in the forecast starting Tuesday evening, Santa Cruz and San Mateo officials issued evacuation warnings and orders for thousands in burn-scarred areas. The CZU Lightning Complex scorched more than 86,500 acres and increased the risk that short bursts of intense rain could dislodge earth, trees and boulders, and send them hurtling down stripped-bare hills.