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Ventura County Locals Fear Mudslide Threat As El Nino Nears

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — As El Nino approaches, Ventura County residents are becoming more and more wary of mudslide threats facing their community.

When Theresa Satterfield looks at the looming hillside that towers over the Ventura home she's lived in for 15 years, two words come to mind:

"It's scary," Satterfield said.

If you look closely, Satterfield argues, you can see where the hillside near her home has already begun to slide.

"It's very serious and it's very fightening," Satterfield said.

Just 10 years ago on January 10th, 2005, another hillside collapsed 10 miles north in La Conchita.

10 people were killed, dozens were injured and hundreds of homes were damaged or destroyed.

Within weeks of the fatal landslide in La Conchita, Satterfield said that the crack in the hillside above her home began to appear.

Now, the crack streches more than 100 feet directly in front of her home, and she worries what will happen if the rains come in too strong or too fast.

"We're talking about the loss of life," Satterfield said.

Some residents are circulating a petition they plan to bring to the city council next week, that asks the city, county, and owners of the hillside to come together in order to deal with the impending threat to their neighborhood.

In the meantime, locals are telling neighbors to get their evacuation plans in place before the winter rains arrive, just in case.

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