The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were among thousands of Montecito residents forced to vacate their homes due to a torrential storm in California. Per BBC, the Montecito Fire Department ordered the immediate evacuation of the neighborhood and its nearby canyons on the afternoon of January 9 amid unprecedented rainfall and flooding. Those unable to flee were advised to move to their innermost room or high ground instead. The warning comes on the fifth anniversary of the deadly mudslides in Montecito in 2018, which led to 23 fatalities, 167 injuries, and damage to hundreds of homes, per Fox Weather. Taking to Instagram, famed television host Ellen DeGeneres shared a video showing the raging floods that hit their area. “Montecito is under complete evacuation, the entire town,” she said. “This is the five-year anniversary of the fire and mudslides that killed so many people, and people lost their homes, their lives. This is crazy.”
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After stepping down from their roles as senior royals in 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan moved into a $14 million Montecito mansion with their kids, Archie and Lilibet. As noted by the Los Angeles Times, it’s unknown whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had already evacuated the home or if they were on the premises to begin with, as some reports claim Harry is currently in NYC promoting his new memoir, “Spare.” According to the outlet, representatives for the couple did not immediately respond to requests for updates.
