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'It's devastating': Landslides, mudslides damage homes, strand residents in NorCal counties

While Tuolumne County is part of the federal disaster declaration, Calaveras County is not

'It's devastating': Landslides, mudslides damage homes, strand residents in NorCal counties

While Tuolumne County is part of the federal disaster declaration, Calaveras County is not

HER HOME. >> JUST TALKING ABOUT IT, I FEEL LIKE I’M GOING TO CRY. ORKO: DENISE MOLINA IS FIGHTING BACK TEARS AFTER A LANDSLIDE IN CALAVERAS COUNTY RAMMED INTO HER WEST POINT HOUSE THIS WEEK. SHE AND HER HUSBAND PASSED BY THE BROKEN ASPHALT ON BARNEY WAY WEDNESDAY TO CHECK OUT THE DAMAGE. CELL PHONE VIDEO SHOWS THAT THE GROUND AND SOME TREES BROKE THROUGH THEIR RETAINING WALL AND IT’S ALL PUSHING INTO THE SIDE OF THE HOME. >> THE WALL, FROM THE WINDOW UNDERNEATH THE BEDS, CAME OUT AND PUSHED ONE OF THE BUNKBEDS. ORKO: MOLINA SAYS THE BUILDING HAS BEEN YELLOW TAGGED, SO SHE’S BEEN IN TOUCH WITH HER INSURANCE, BUT THE FUTURE IS UNCERTAIN. >> THIS IS THE HOME THAT WE LOVE AND WE PLAN ON GOING OUT THERE AND SPENDING THE REST OF OUR GRANDMA AND GRANDPA DAYS. ORKO: VIDEO FROM LIVECOPTER3 SHOWS MOLINA’S NEIGHBOR’S HOME WHICH SUSTAINED EVEN MORE DAMAGE DUE TO THE LANDSLIDE. LIVECOPTER3 ALSO CAPTURED IMAGES OF A MUDSLIDE IN TUOLUMNE COUNTY. THIS IS JUST A FEW MILES OUTSIDE OF TWAIN HARTE. PHOTOS FROM A KCRA 3 VIEWER SHOW A HOME HERE THAT HAS BEEN DAMAGED BY THE MUDSLIDE. >> IT’S PROBABLY TWO, THREE FEET DEEP, A NUMBER OF TREES IN AND AMONGST THE MUD. ORKO: I SPOKE WITH PAT HALEY ONE OF ABOUT 50 RESIDENTS WHO CAN’T GET AROUND THE MUD WHICH IS COVERING ITALIAN BAR ROAD. >> WE EFFECTIVELY ARE BLOCKED IN HERE. THERE’S NO OTHER ACCESS OUT OF OUR AREA TO TOWN, OR FROM TOWN OUT TO OUR AREA. ORKO: HALEY IS DOING WHAT HE CAN TO HELP HIS NEIGHBORS. >> IT JUST MISS THIS HOME. ORKO: INCLUDING JOSH BROCKETT, WHO OWNS A BUSINESS IN TWAIN HARTE. BROCKETT SAYS HALEY PICKED HIM UP AFTER HE FOUND A WAY AROUND THE MUD. >> I HAD TO TREK THROUGH THE SNOW, WALK THE CREEK DRAINAGE BELOW THE BOTTOM OF THE MUDSLIDE AND THEN POP BACK UP ON THE ROAD ON THE OTHER SIDE. ORKO: HE PLANS ON DOING THAT TO GET TO WORK UNTIL THE MUDSLIDE IS CLEANED UP. >> WE EXPECT TO LIVE THROUGH HARSH CONDITIONS, BUT LIKE I SAID, THIS IS THE WORST I’VE EVER SEEN IT. ORKO: TUOLUMNE COUNTY IS ONE OF THE COUNTIES LISTED UNDER THE CURRENT DISASTER DECLARATION FOR CALIFORNIA. BUT CALAVERAS COUNTY IS NOT. THE HOMEOWNER THERE WE SPOKE WITH SAYS SHE CONTACTED FEMA, BUT WAS TOLD THERE WAS LITTLE THEY COULD DO BECAUSE NO STATE OF EMERGENCY HAS BEEN PROCLAIMED. SHE TELLS ME SHE FILLED OUT AN APPLICATION ANYWAY. AND HOPES THAT HER AREA IS ADDED TO THE LIST. ANDREA
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'It's devastating': Landslides, mudslides damage homes, strand residents in NorCal counties

While Tuolumne County is part of the federal disaster declaration, Calaveras County is not

As California dries out following the recent rain and snowstorms, the effects of the wet winter weather culminated in an apparent landslide in Calaveras County and a mudslide in Tuolumne County.KCRA 3 spoke to people impacted in both communities about the damage they are seeing, and how they are trying to move forward in the wake of the damage.Landslide damages homes in Calaveras CountyDenise Molina said a landslide in Calaveras County rammed into her West Point house this week. She and her husband, Carlos, were not home at the time, but they saw the damage to their home through a surveillance camera. Molina said they passed by the broken asphalt on Barney Way on Wednesday to check out the damage. Cell phone images given to KCRA 3 show that the ground and some trees broke through Molina's retaining wall, and all of the debris is currently pushing into the side of the home."The whole bedroom downstairs, the wall from the window underneath the beds, came out and pushed one of the bunkbeds," Molina said. "The whole landslide looked like it fell down into our home."Molina said her home has been yellow-tagged. She has contacted her insurance, but the future is still uncertain. She and her husband had just finished remodeling the property, which she said makes the damage even more disheartening."Just talking about it, I feel like I’m going to cry," Molina said. "This is the home that we love, and we plan on going out there and spending the rest of our grandma and grandpa days. It’s devastating."Calaveras County Sheriff Greg Stark said Barney Way was partially washed away. When KCRA 3 asked if officials were classifying it as a landslide, Stark said in an email, "More like road erosion. Calaveras OES is taking the lead." Calaveras County OES officials told KCRA 3 they will be sending an update on the situation on Friday.Mudslide in Tuolumne County strands entire rural communitySeveral people who live off of Italian Bar Road in Tuolumne County, just a few miles outside Twain Harte, contacted KCRA 3 after a mudslide impacted roads and homes in the area. One KCRA 3 viewer sent photos showing a home that was severely damaged in the mudslide.Resident Pat Haley said that there are about 50 properties in the area that are cut off due the mudslide covering the road."The road is completely blocked by about a thousand feet of hillside and a number of trees that down across the road," Haley said. "We're effectively blocked in here. There's no other access out of our area to town, or from town out to our area."Haley did a Zoom interview with KCRA 3 from right next to the mudslide and described the situation as he saw it. "It's probably two, three feet deep," Haley said. "The width of the blockage is probably 50 yards, maybe."Haley said he was doing what he could to help his neighbors, including shuttling some of them who had decided to try and hike around the mudslide to get in between their homes and Twain Harte. One of those people was Josh Brockett, who owns a plant nursery business in Twain Harte."I left my truck in town and walked around the mudslide, and then my neighbor Pat picked me up on the other side and gave me a ride home," Brockett said. "I had to trek through the snow, walk the creek drainage below the bottom of the mudslide and then pop back up on the road on the other side."Brockett said he will continue to do that to get to work until the mudslide is cleared."It's part of living in the mountains," Brockett said. "We expect to live through harsh conditions, but like I said, this is the worst I’ve ever seen it."What is next for those affected by the landslide and mudslide?Tuolumne County is one of the 34 counties in California that are part of a federal disaster declaration issues by President Joe Biden, at the request of California Gov. Gavin Newsom. FEMA announced that federal disaster assistance would be available to residents of those counties "due to emergency conditions resulting from severe winter storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides beginning March 9, 2023, and continuing.”However, Calaveras County is not included in that disaster declaration. Homeowners in Calaveras County who were impacted by the recent landslide told KCRA 3 they called FEMA, but were told there was little that FEMA could do because the county is not included.

As California dries out following the recent rain and snowstorms, the effects of the wet winter weather culminated in an apparent landslide in Calaveras County and a mudslide in Tuolumne County.

KCRA 3 spoke to people impacted in both communities about the damage they are seeing, and how they are trying to move forward in the wake of the damage.

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Landslide damages homes in Calaveras County

Denise Molina said a landslide in Calaveras County rammed into her West Point house this week. She and her husband, Carlos, were not home at the time, but they saw the damage to their home through a surveillance camera.

Molina said they passed by the broken asphalt on Barney Way on Wednesday to check out the damage. Cell phone images given to KCRA 3 show that the ground and some trees broke through Molina's retaining wall, and all of the debris is currently pushing into the side of the home.

"The whole bedroom downstairs, the wall from the window underneath the beds, came out and pushed one of the bunkbeds," Molina said. "The whole landslide looked like it fell down into our home."

Molina said her home has been yellow-tagged. She has contacted her insurance, but the future is still uncertain. She and her husband had just finished remodeling the property, which she said makes the damage even more disheartening.

"Just talking about it, I feel like I’m going to cry," Molina said. "This is the home that we love, and we plan on going out there and spending the rest of our grandma and grandpa days. It’s devastating."

Calaveras County Sheriff Greg Stark said Barney Way was partially washed away. When KCRA 3 asked if officials were classifying it as a landslide, Stark said in an email, "More like road erosion. Calaveras OES is taking the lead." Calaveras County OES officials told KCRA 3 they will be sending an update on the situation on Friday.

Mudslide in Tuolumne County strands entire rural community

Several people who live off of Italian Bar Road in Tuolumne County, just a few miles outside Twain Harte, contacted KCRA 3 after a mudslide impacted roads and homes in the area. One KCRA 3 viewer sent photos showing a home that was severely damaged in the mudslide.

Resident Pat Haley said that there are about 50 properties in the area that are cut off due the mudslide covering the road.

"The road is completely blocked by about a thousand feet of hillside and a number of trees that down across the road," Haley said. "We're effectively blocked in here. There's no other access out of our area to town, or from town out to our area."

Haley did a Zoom interview with KCRA 3 from right next to the mudslide and described the situation as he saw it.

"It's probably two, three feet deep," Haley said. "The width of the blockage is probably 50 yards, maybe."

Haley said he was doing what he could to help his neighbors, including shuttling some of them who had decided to try and hike around the mudslide to get in between their homes and Twain Harte. One of those people was Josh Brockett, who owns a plant nursery business in Twain Harte.

"I left my truck in town and walked around the mudslide, and then my neighbor Pat picked me up on the other side and gave me a ride home," Brockett said. "I had to trek through the snow, walk the creek drainage below the bottom of the mudslide and then pop back up on the road on the other side."

Brockett said he will continue to do that to get to work until the mudslide is cleared.

"It's part of living in the mountains," Brockett said. "We expect to live through harsh conditions, but like I said, this is the worst I’ve ever seen it."

What is next for those affected by the landslide and mudslide?

Tuolumne County is one of the 34 counties in California that are part of a federal disaster declaration issues by President Joe Biden, at the request of California Gov. Gavin Newsom. FEMA announced that federal disaster assistance would be available to residents of those counties "due to emergency conditions resulting from severe winter storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides beginning March 9, 2023, and continuing.”

However, Calaveras County is not included in that disaster declaration. Homeowners in Calaveras County who were impacted by the recent landslide told KCRA 3 they called FEMA, but were told there was little that FEMA could do because the county is not included.