California’s elite coastal enclave of Montecito has been ordered to evacuate amid a massive storm that has put much of the state under a flood watch.
Heavy rain was falling near Santa Barbara, home to celebrities such as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex – Harry and Meghan – and Oprah Winfrey.
Forecasters are warning state residents to brace for a “continuous parade of cyclones” over the next week.
The floods have already claimed 12 lives and thousands are without power.
As of Monday afternoon, more than 100,000 people were without power.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, about 90 percent of Californians — about 34 million people in the most populous U.S. state — were under a flood watch.
“We expect the worst of this is still ahead of us,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said at a news conference. “Don’t tempt fate.”
An order issued Monday afternoon by the Montecito Fire Department directed residents of the town and surrounding valleys: “Quit now!”
Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said the decision to order the evacuation was “based on continued high rainfall rates and no indication that is going to change before nightfall”. Those unable to escape are being told to move to their inner rooms or higher ground.
It is unclear whether Prince Harry, who is currently promoting his memoir Spear, or his wife and children are currently in Montecito.
The US National Weather Service (NWS) reported that up to 8in (20cm) of rain had already fallen in the region over 12 hours.
Montecito is home to many Hollywood stars, including actor Rob Lowe, and comedian Ellen DeGeneres, who posted a video from the banks of the flooded creek on Monday.
“This is madness!” said the chat show host. “This creek next to our house never flows, it’s probably about nine feet up and about to go up another two.”
The evacuation comes on the fifth anniversary of the Montecito mudslide that killed 23 people and destroyed more than 100 homes.
This new round of severe weather will bring heavy rain to already flooded rivers, damaging winds are expected to bring down trees and power lines, and heavy snowfall in California’s mountains.
