Ellen DeGeneres facetimed friend and neighbor Oprah during The Ellen Show this week to discuss the deadly California mudslides.
Both live in Santa Barbara county, where flooding and mudslides due to rainfall have killed at least 17 people. An additional 28 people suffered injuries, some in critical conditions.
Authories and first responders are continuing to search for survivors and 65 homes have been destroyed. A further 462 homes, including Oprah’s, have been damaged.
This devastation comes weeks after the state’s biggest wildfire in the same area. The Thomas fire forced DeGeneres to evacuate.
Both women became understandably emotional during their talk.
Facing tragedy twice
The night Oprah received a great honor at the Golden Globes and delivered a powerful speech, she returned home to Montecito, California and faced tragedy for the second time in only a few months.
‘The dogs are barking, I wake up, and I can’t believe the sky seems like it’s on fire,’ Oprah explains to DeGeneres during the call. ‘It’s 3:47 in the morning, I say, “Stedman, oh my god, something’s going on.”‘
Turns out, there was a gas fire as well as the mudslides.
She further tells DeGeneres she thought her property was fine until the next day.
‘I’m standing right now in still a lot of mud where we share a fence line, and the neighbors’ houses are gone. Just gone.’
Oprah made some posts on Instagram saying her property faced minor damages (like a torn out fence), but nothing in comparison to her neighbors.
Then Oprah and Ellen talk to the captain of Ventura City’s fire department about the damage and recovery efforts. Photos of the mudslides’ devastation litter the video.
DeGeneres also tweeted out her own photo of the aftermath.
This is the street in front of our house. I don’t know anything about our house yet. I’m heartbroken for our community of Montecito. I’m devastated for the families who lost loved ones. I’m grateful to all the rescue workers. Please send love to Montecito. pic.twitter.com/TmbqwzMLEz
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) January 10, 2018
People can help via the Red Cross and Direct Relief.