×

News publications and other organizations are encouraged to reuse Direct Relief-published content for free under a Creative Commons License (Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International), given the republisher complies with the requirements identified below.

When republishing:

  • Include a byline with the reporter’s name and Direct Relief in the following format: "Author Name, Direct Relief." If attribution in that format is not possible, include the following language at the top of the story: "This story was originally published by Direct Relief."
  • If publishing online, please link to the original URL of the story.
  • Maintain any tagline at the bottom of the story.
  • With Direct Relief's permission, news publications can make changes such as localizing the content for a particular area, using a different headline, or shortening story text. To confirm edits are acceptable, please check with Direct Relief by clicking this link.
  • If new content is added to the original story — for example, a comment from a local official — a note with language to the effect of the following must be included: "Additional reporting by [reporter and organization]."
  • If republished stories are shared on social media, Direct Relief appreciates being tagged in the posts:
    • Twitter (@DirectRelief)
    • Facebook (@DirectRelief)
    • Instagram (@DirectRelief)

Republishing Images:

Unless stated otherwise, images shot by Direct Relief may be republished for non-commercial purposes with proper attribution, given the republisher complies with the requirements identified below.

  • Maintain correct caption information.
  • Credit the photographer and Direct Relief in the caption. For example: "First and Last Name / Direct Relief."
  • Do not digitally alter images.

Direct Relief often contracts with freelance photographers who usually, but not always, allow their work to be published by Direct Relief’s media partners. Contact Direct Relief for permission to use images in which Direct Relief is not credited in the caption by clicking here.

Other Requirements:

  • Do not state or imply that donations to any third-party organization support Direct Relief's work.
  • Republishers may not sell Direct Relief's content.
  • Direct Relief's work is prohibited from populating web pages designed to improve rankings on search engines or solely to gain revenue from network-based advertisements.
  • Advance permission is required to translate Direct Relief's stories into a language different from the original language of publication. To inquire, contact us here.
  • If Direct Relief requests a change to or removal of republished Direct Relief content from a site or on-air, the republisher must comply.

For any additional questions about republishing Direct Relief content, please email the team here.

Residents Suit Up for Return to Mudslide-Impacted Homes

News

Montecito Mudslide

Santa Barbara County Public Health's Ashlea Coski puts on protective gear for residents returning to their homes on Jan. 25, 2018. Direct Relief distributed protective coveralls, googles, gloves and masks to residents returning to their home after the Jan. 9 deadly mudslide. Sheriff's deputies were escorting some residents back to their homes for a limited amount of time to collect items and begin clean-up. (Lara Cooper/Direct Relief)
By Lara Cooper

Thousands of people have been displaced since deadly mudslides ripped through Montecito earlier this month. On Thursday, some residents returned to their home for a few hours, escorted in on tour buses, past the police checkpoints that prohibited entry to their neighborhoods.

Much of Montecito is still under evacuation, with officials working to ensure the safety of the area, restore ruptured gas and water lines, and search. Twenty-one people were killed as a result of the mudslide, and two children are still missing.

First responders gathered in the parking lot of a local school Thursday morning to assist people being shuttled into the area. “We want to do whatever we can to help people today,” Lt. Brian Olmstead told the group before the buses began to run.

Bob Maloy picks up protective coveralls before being escorted to his home in the Glen Oaks neighborhood of Montecito on Jan. 25, 2018.  Maloy and his wife were returning to their home for the first time in more than two weeks. (Lara Cooper/Direct Relief)

Thursday was the first time that Bob Maloy and his family would return to their home in the Glen Oaks neighborhood of Montecito since the mudslide tore through their home with frightening force. “We’re hoping to get in and just inspect the place,” he said. With heavy work boots in hand, Maloy took several protective suits for himself and his wife. On his phone, Malloy showed several photos of a crushed vehicle in the family’s garage and another that showed a wall of mud eclipsing the home’s first story and encroaching on the second.

Yards from where buses were leaving, Direct Relief staff distributed protective gear to others re-entering the mudslide area. Coveralls, gloves, goggles and N95 masks were provided for free to anyone who needed them. Direct Relief will provide more protective equipment in the coming days as more people return to the area to begin clean-up. Information can be found on Direct Relief’s Facebook page here.

Devastation is evident in Montecito’s Glen Oaks neighborhood after the deadly mudslides on Jan. 9. (Photo courtesy of Shawn Armstrong)

Public health officials urged people returning to the area to avoid exposure to the mud, which could contain raw sewage, diesel fuel and other contaminants. Protective coveralls, gloves, masks and goggles — all of which can be disposed of after a single use —  can limit exposure to the mud and debris as people begin to return to mudslide-impacted areas.

The health concerns are myriad, from what could be in the mud to what could be in the air.

“Black mold is a concern as people return to homes that have been flooded,” said Ashlea Coski of the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department. An N95 mask can help filter some particulates in the air, and is effective when it forms a tight seal around a person’s mouth and nose. Direct Relief is also equipping volunteer groups involved in the recovery, like Habitat for Humanity, with protective gear as they plan clean-up events in the area.

Six utility vehicles and a four-wheel-drive truck to assist first responders have been donated to date. The Montecito Fire Department, Santa Barbara County and City Fire Departments, and Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue specifically requested specialty vehicles to help continue their search and rescue operations in extreme terrain. Other gear for first responders has also been donated: water rescue gear, inflatable kayak, safety lights, rope systems and more. Tetanus vaccines have been delivered to the Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics, who have been administering the vaccines, free of charge, to anyone impacted by the mudslide in Montecito.

Filed Under: , , ,

Giving is Good Medicine

You don't have to donate. That's why it's so extraordinary if you do.