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La Canada resident describes mudslide damage
A debris flow damages a home after heavy rains caused mudslides February 6, 2010 in La Canada Flintridge, California. Large wildfires in 2008 and 2009 stripped the hills and mountains of vegetation, resulting in mud and debris flow danger as winter rains pass over foothill communities where thousands of people have been evacuated at times in recent weeks. The threat is particularly high near the San Gabriel Mountains above La Canada-Flintridge area which were denuded of natural flood-controlling vegetation by the 250-plus square mile Station. At least 40 homes have been severely damaged and 500 were evacuated.
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La Canada resident describes mudslide damage
La Canada resident describes mudslide damage
Pat Markgraf's home in La Canada Flintridge was among the homes that were seriously damaged in a mudslide on Saturday.
Mudflow destroyed Markgraf's garage and pushed her car onto a neighbor's property. Her daughter, Katherine, lives down the street and coordinated with a neighbor to rescue her mother.
Katherine said the damage to her mother's house was "surreal."
“All the furniture that clearly got hit the hardest was shoved into the corner of the room, but walking into the hallways and just to see the pictures perfectly on the wall but you're standing in three feet of mud and twigs and who knows what else, everything from 3 feet and above is surreally perfect,” said Katherine Markgraf.
Pat Markgraf has lived in the home for 40 years.
(Audio: KPCC's Shirley Jahad spoke with Katherine Markgraf).
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