Rain in Southern California Forces Horse Owners to Evacuate

Horse owners in southern California were forced to evacuate their homes and barns when heavy rain and thunderstorms caused flooding and mudslides on Thursday and Friday.

The drill has become routine for Orange County, Calif. residents. Hundreds of horses and their owners were evacuated from Orange County canyon areas during the Santiago fire that swept through the region a month ago.
Residents returned home with their animals only to be told on Dec.6 that they had to leave again due to mudslides and flooding from the latest storm system.

The weekend’s rain isn’t expected to last as long as originally forecasted, but strong winds that reached 70 mph made evacuations tougher than expected. No equine fatalities have been reported.