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The former talk show host filmed a creek behind her Montecito home that "never flows" and is now "probably about nine feet up" after eight inches of rain fell in 12 hours.
Nearly 10,000 residents of Montecito, California and neighboring communities in southern Santa Barbara county are under a mandatory evacuation amid dramatic rainfall totals that have led to massive flooding and the tragic death of a five-year-old boy Monday morning.
Ellen DeGeneres, who says she was asked to shelter in place because her home is on "higher ground," captured some of that flooding in her own back yard.
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View StoryThe mandatory evacuation order includes many of DeGeneres' famous neighbors and celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Rob Lowe, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, among many others.
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In her video, the former talk show host notes that this latest weather assault came five years to the day from the tragic flash flooding and landslides of 2018 -- exacerbated by the ravaging of the Santa Ynez Mountains by the Thomas Fire of 2017. 23 people died in that natural disaster.
Overlooking flood waters in a creek bed that runs through her property, DeGeneres said, "This is the five year anniversary from the fire and mudslides that killed so many people — people lost their homes, their lives. This is crazy, on the five year anniversary, we’re having unprecedented rain."
Showing the raging waters behind her, DeGeneres said that the stream next to her home "never flows, ever." Now, though, she said that it's "probably about nine feet up," and she's anticipating another two feet of rising.
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View Story"We need to be nicer to mother nature, because mother nature is not happy with us," DeGeneres added.
A tweet Monday afternoon from the National Weather Service in Los Angeles warned of "DANGEROUS LIFE THREATENING FLASH FLOODING ... through this evening as additional rain moves into the area."
Already, a five-year-old boy lost his life Monday morning after he was swept away by floodwaters. A search to find him was called off in the afternoon.
As of 12 a.m. PT, NWS Los Angeles was reporting the highest rainfall amounts at 16.34 inches for Nordhoff Ridge in Ventura County and 16.05 inches at San Marcos Pass in Santa Barbara County. Los Angeles County hasn't been hit as hard, but did reach 7.12 inches at Warm Springs in the mountains.
Their Twitter feed is showing video and pictures of extensive flooding throughout the area.
