Debris flow on December 13th near Boulder Creek CA

A handful of clips from our security cameras (and a brief handheld footage from a safe distance, before I evacuated moments later) on the morning of December 13th, 2021. Our house is situated less than a quarter mile from the burn scar of the CZU Fire which likely contributed to this small but intense flow of debris. Our landscape was heavily rearranged, with a much greater elevation drop than the creek had prior. #CZUFire #CaWx

Пікірлер: 137

  • @hpengineprep
    @hpengineprep2 жыл бұрын

    Everyone in SLV knows you're supposed to hang a kayak off your back deck and when it gets horizontal its time to get in it and leave.

  • @gailmahood9778
    @gailmahood97782 жыл бұрын

    Hi Owen, I want to second the appreciation from the County for posting this video of the debris flow(s) that passed by your home on Foreman Creek. It could save lives. As a retired geology professor from Stanford University, who has studied and lectured about debris flows, I would like to suggest that you change the title on the video from "mud slide" to "debris flows". What you are showing is a series of debris flows. A mud slide is something different: rain-soaked soil and rock that breaks away on a steep slope, and slides down the slope (e.g., what happened in Love Creek in the great storm of 1982). By the way, your observation about the creek elevation is a classic effect of debris flows: "armed" with rocks, sand, logs and other debris, debris flows moving at high velocities in steep canyons can erode their channels making them deeper. Where debris flows slow down on flat ground, they deposit (e.g., what happened at Montecito in 2018 following the Thomas Fire).

  • @ophiuchus8105

    @ophiuchus8105

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for the info! Updated the title.

  • @gailmahood9778

    @gailmahood9778

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@ophiuchus8105 Great! Thank you.

  • @hahaha9076

    @hahaha9076

    2 жыл бұрын

    In the Australian landscape these are commonly called gully rakes. This kind of flooding is particularly dangerous to new comers. I'm glad you were safe.

  • @robertgarland805

    @robertgarland805

    2 жыл бұрын

    I lived in Boulder Creek and moved into Santa Cruz a few weeks before the flood. A beautiful place to live.

  • @julielumine553

    @julielumine553

    Жыл бұрын

    Yeah, Gail… yes, & no. Debris w/ that amount of force & high concentration of ash ( color!) are truly a mixture. Its going too fast & forcefully to deposit here, will & oceanpoint. Degrees must be applied w/ practicum-lots of it

  • @livemusicsantacruz
    @livemusicsantacruz2 жыл бұрын

    This is truly eye-opening footage. The sheer volume of water swelling the local waterways was mind-boggling in itself. Fascinating watching the flow change with the debris washing down...no small matter. Thank you for sharing. Glad no one was hurt.

  • @blk77sunshn
    @blk77sunshn2 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for making this video. I'm glad that you are OK (from what I gathered from other comments). That was a terrifying show of nature's force on display. We can all learn lessons from this and make our homes and ourselves safer during events like this. Keep safe, and I hope you can rebuild swiftly. God bless.

  • @geoffreyrussell660
    @geoffreyrussell6602 жыл бұрын

    Wow. So frightening - and so very glad for you to not have lost your deck...or worse. We owned in Riverside Grove '84-'13. Many parts of the SC Mountains we miss, but not this.... Again - glad your place survived. - Geoff.

  • @ceriedwards991
    @ceriedwards9912 жыл бұрын

    Good to know where water flows or where floodplains are before build a house in rural land. Hope all are safe

  • @bexxy2407
    @bexxy24072 жыл бұрын

    wow that looked absolutely terrifying! I am pleased to know you and your loved one are safe ❤

  • @fatchoy8
    @fatchoy82 жыл бұрын

    Oh dear, glad to hear you're alright from it. Thank you for sharing

  • @countyofsantacruzca
    @countyofsantacruzca2 жыл бұрын

    Glad to know you and your family are safe. May we use this for educational purposes the next time we have a big storm coming our way? It really will help enlighten people about the dangers from debris flow. More than happy to credit you.

  • @ophiuchus8105

    @ophiuchus8105

    2 жыл бұрын

    Yes, that would be just fine. You can share this, or reach out to me “Owen Imholte” for a copy (pretty sure you have my info ;) but if not I’m easy enough to find)

  • @countyofsantacruzca

    @countyofsantacruzca

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@ophiuchus8105 Thank you Owen.

  • @timnelson6055

    @timnelson6055

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@juliewuest1437 "it stayed within the natural banks of the creek". Not so much, to my eye, even if not catastrophic.

  • @BarbaraRademacher
    @BarbaraRademacher2 жыл бұрын

    Of the debris flow videos I have watched, this one is the most terrifying so far.

  • @bluesky.believeitornot.1882
    @bluesky.believeitornot.18822 жыл бұрын

    Wow..Amazing.Look at that tree down at the bottom right of the screen.standing there steadily with all the pressure it's receiving.

  • @johnmudd6453
    @johnmudd64532 жыл бұрын

    It takes a lot to impress me ,but my god that was terrifying ,so close to your home ! I thought you were going to lose you deck

  • @paulstecker5693
    @paulstecker569322 күн бұрын

    Boy if I had a drop in my property like I just read in your comment before showing the video boy I put all big stones in there. It cost money and everything that would take care of that and would shore up your property so you wouldn't lose your house and everything. Thank you. I seen this done in California the cliffs they wanted. You want to call them houses or cottages near the ocean? They bringing rocks to shore up the shoreline and then the water don't wash away. No more sander dirt in the house would collapse into the ocean. They got to bring in a big excavator and everything to do this. Thank you.

  • @melodiefrances3898
    @melodiefrances38982 жыл бұрын

    The speed is terrifying.

  • @quercophilia
    @quercophilia2 жыл бұрын

    Thank you so much for posting this on youtube! You may save some lives with this.

  • @skinnydipper3493
    @skinnydipper34932 жыл бұрын

    That was pretty full on..!! You wouldn't want it to be any worse than that..!

  • @Jack_rabbits_sage_brush
    @Jack_rabbits_sage_brush Жыл бұрын

    The power of water. It can move mountains...........literately!

  • @lisahammer7078
    @lisahammer70782 жыл бұрын

    I'm glad you're okay!

  • @wheels-n-tires1846
    @wheels-n-tires18462 жыл бұрын

    Just wow!!! Pretty scary... But, looks like lots of firewood delivered for free...!!😂

  • @paulstecker5693
    @paulstecker569322 күн бұрын

    😢😮 I'll just say I won't even want a house near a creek like that. It can wash the whole foundation away that supports the whole house and everything. Boy I wouldn't be going away in the kayak like that. You can lose your life. I enjoyed the video though. Thank you for posting it on KZread.

  • @GMitchell5150
    @GMitchell51502 жыл бұрын

    I bet the sound was awesome.

  • @sarajanesmith3892
    @sarajanesmith38922 жыл бұрын

    I seen raging water but that beats it all!!

  • @dakmycat3688
    @dakmycat36882 жыл бұрын

    Not bad. Mother Nature doing what she does best.

  • @TheWestlandgirl
    @TheWestlandgirl2 жыл бұрын

    Sound would've been even more mindblowing

  • @skeets6060
    @skeets60602 жыл бұрын

    Thats a lot of water,, and a lot of fire wood

  • @noworriesmate5903
    @noworriesmate59032 жыл бұрын

    Well that's not good. Now there is a lot of work along the whole river to do.

  • @Snickerszn
    @Snickerszn Жыл бұрын

    This is one of the best flash flood videos I have ever seen awesome. Those trees turning sideways could of started a major damn and couldn’t gotten way worse.

  • @felixcat9318
    @felixcat93182 жыл бұрын

    Having not been too badly effected by the magnitude of that destructive, fast moving debris field, I would be concerned for the foundations of the building, that the ground that they're embedded into wasn't eroded away by the water or debris! By any definition, that was a lethal flow, and anything downhill in its path wasn't going to fare well once it arrived. The potential for future events, and their potential threat to the building would give cause for concern. It seems that escaping that torrent was simply a matter of good fortune, long may it hold!

  • @davegutenech7188
    @davegutenech71882 жыл бұрын

    I used to live in Healdsburg CA. Seems when it would rain hard the rivet going out to Gernville would flood. We used to help out the people and business.

  • @petergustafson7446
    @petergustafson74462 жыл бұрын

    Is this at the bottom of redwood dr at 236? I lived there back in the early 90’s with Alan snd Jenny Cunningham. She was Boucher back then. I think that they’ve done a lot of work on it. It looks different today. My parents still live up past there above the golf course.

  • @ophiuchus8105

    @ophiuchus8105

    2 жыл бұрын

    Yep!

  • @dgatsf
    @dgatsf2 жыл бұрын

    Boulder creek was my go to place to get out of the city and into nature. It totally breaks my heart that big basin state park in Boulder Creek was so devastated by the 2020 fires. I can’t even bring myself to go there because I know the park will look like Yellowstone, burned out dead place

  • @ophiuchus8105

    @ophiuchus8105

    2 жыл бұрын

    I got to drive through recently, it is quite a drastic change, but there is still a lot of green and regrowth happening. You should come visit when you feel able to.

  • @charleslloyd4253
    @charleslloyd42532 жыл бұрын

    The current Rocky mountains are the third set of mountains in the area. The first two eroded to form the flat lands surrounding the current mountains. And the current mountains will erode to do the same. Nothing is permanent on earth. Not even mountain ranges.

  • @barbrn

    @barbrn

    2 жыл бұрын

    I didn't know that!

  • @bossdillman7011
    @bossdillman70112 жыл бұрын

    Thats frightening. Used to fedex around BC for years in many storms. Never saw debri flows like this. Very eye opening

  • @robertlandry5676
    @robertlandry56762 жыл бұрын

    2:17 Was this in the Sales Brochure? Creekside😂

  • @DR_SOLO
    @DR_SOLO2 жыл бұрын

    that log that lodged itself at 25 seconds into the video between the tree and the earth I do believe is the miracle that saved so much stuff from being shot towards the house so far I'm at 3 minutes and 26 seconds so I don't know if it's going to hold or not but let's see

  • @ophiuchus8105

    @ophiuchus8105

    2 жыл бұрын

    Still holding til this day... but we might remove it to get the flow going again (actually the county said they would but nobody has yet).

  • @karenimholte5764
    @karenimholte57642 жыл бұрын

    Whoa! That’s crazy.

  • @Don.Challenger
    @Don.Challenger Жыл бұрын

    Ophiuchus, presumably you became a bit worried when that serpent turned unruly. Very interesting video for a lazy Monday morning and lucky maybe that that wasn't a Friday. I'm a fan of the Illgraben valley debris flows shown on Pierre-Emmanuel Zufferey's KZread channel. A significant difference with his videos is that yours was viewed more or less from the vantage of your breakfast table on that veranda and at just arm's length (so much more tangible), while his camera work is from a bridge overlooking a substantial infrastructure of engineered concrete structures attempting to wrestle those flows somewhat safely from their source on the flanks of the Illhorn mountain into the river Rhone.

  • @ron6575
    @ron65752 жыл бұрын

    I used to live in Scotts Valley off of Glenwood Drive and every year someone along that stretch would have some crazy land slide.

  • @crazyprepper5400
    @crazyprepper54002 жыл бұрын

    That's where the gold is

  • @Don.Challenger

    @Don.Challenger

    Жыл бұрын

    Yes, no doubt placer deposits being made along there; but, in this case, mostly placer deposits of lumber and gravel - might be worth panning a few spots and see if anything glints back at you.

  • @yehuditbrachabachmannbench9468
    @yehuditbrachabachmannbench94682 жыл бұрын

    Without a sound?

  • @ophiuchus8105

    @ophiuchus8105

    2 жыл бұрын

    I also hate a video without a sound...but security cameras are what they are. I'll see about uploading my short phone clip with sound in a bit.

  • @jolookstothestars6358
    @jolookstothestars63582 жыл бұрын

    Crazy!

  • @lindapindabelinda3570
    @lindapindabelinda35702 жыл бұрын

    Yikes. For anyone else who may be anticipating a similar debris flow, go out now and clear a path for the water so that branches and limbs don’t get caught and create dams. Like cut down all the trees in the way. They’re going to go down anyway.

  • @nannettehuffman8397

    @nannettehuffman8397

    2 жыл бұрын

    Cutting down vegetation along the bank will just cause more erosion. How about building your house further away from the creek???

  • @nannettehuffman8397

    @nannettehuffman8397

    2 жыл бұрын

    You are NOT going to stop this.

  • @scottcrowley4745
    @scottcrowley47452 жыл бұрын

    What camera system is that?? And yeah I live on the San Lorenzo and it got scary in that storm too! These burn scars make already scary winters around here wayyyy scary

  • @ophiuchus8105

    @ophiuchus8105

    2 жыл бұрын

    It’s a Lorex NVR with various Lorex PoE 4K cameras (so the crop in should still be 1080p, though the fast moving water really does a number on video compression).

  • @dingdong2229
    @dingdong22292 жыл бұрын

    A few of those logs look like PGE clearcut.

  • @cassadyvelasco2309
    @cassadyvelasco23092 жыл бұрын

    May KSBW use your video as the county prepares for more rain this week? We'd be happy to credit your name over the video. Thanks for your consideration.

  • @ophiuchus8105

    @ophiuchus8105

    2 жыл бұрын

    Sure, that’s just fine.

  • @joejoejoejoejoejoej
    @joejoejoejoejoejoej2 жыл бұрын

    Good job that stair and deck survived!!! Big expense avoided … Did you capture the firewood !! Worth it with the way energy prices are going !!!!

  • @normanjohn9697
    @normanjohn9697 Жыл бұрын

    In the African country which is the furthest one South, no permanent structures are to be built within 50 metres of the high water mark of any body of water. One would think that the USA would have even stricter building regulations.

  • @johnxgalt8312
    @johnxgalt83122 жыл бұрын

    That was enough timber to build another ark.

  • @jerrywhalen2100
    @jerrywhalen21002 жыл бұрын

    Have you ever seen that happen before in that Creek amazing that it was able to handle it

  • @ophiuchus8105

    @ophiuchus8105

    2 жыл бұрын

    No, prior to this it would sometimes gush higher during a strong rain, but the deepest it ever got was a couple feet (and was usually clear, or just a little bit muddy).

  • @Snickerszn

    @Snickerszn

    Жыл бұрын

    I bet it damned up somewhere and just let loose. Looked like those sideways trees across the creek against the living tree could of started a huge damn of debris. Your lucky it wasn’t worse.

  • @betsyo8330
    @betsyo83302 жыл бұрын

    Where does all that lumber go?

  • @smhs1262
    @smhs1262Ай бұрын

    that's what a stairway looks like? wow!

  • @marcusthemagnificent9902
    @marcusthemagnificent99022 жыл бұрын

    That’s not a mudslide. That’s a flood, plain & simple. Granted a whole lot of debris came down when the water rose, but it was still water, albeit very silt-laden water. And it did not look like the first time that this has happened. Those shots of the path showed where high water had eroded away the bank of the creek previously. Lovely home and property, BTW. Very nice indeed.

  • @ophiuchus8105

    @ophiuchus8105

    2 жыл бұрын

    Agreed, wasn’t really sure what to call it; judging by what is upstream from this there might have been a mudslide that preceded this uphill (and to be fair, despite the intensity, I think this was kinda “small” and we were very lucky). Not sure which part you’re referring to, but the water hasn’t been nearly this high in the last few years/no flooding we’re aware of (short of a few decades ago).

  • @williambrandondavis6897
    @williambrandondavis68972 жыл бұрын

    Keep your fingers crossed you don’t get a bigger one. It wouldn’t take much more to take your house out. If that water gets under your foundation it will be bad. Make an emergency escape plan!

  • @felixyusupov7299
    @felixyusupov7299 Жыл бұрын

    Mike Everman used to live on Madrone Drive a hundred feet or so from that exact spot. Anyone know Mike?

  • @Bloomcycle
    @Bloomcycle2 жыл бұрын

    That one log that jams up the stream

  • @markkryzler6982
    @markkryzler69822 жыл бұрын

    do you think there are also animals washed away from that flood?

  • @deadpoolstrikesagain3914
    @deadpoolstrikesagain39142 жыл бұрын

    Always build a few km away from any old stream.. because if it rains this can happen. Hope ur all safe

  • @MonthlyFails
    @MonthlyFails2 жыл бұрын

    Hello Acoustic Automation, is it possible to contact you regarding this video (i.e. via email)? We would be interested to discuss a license to use this video if this is generally possible to discuss? :) Cheers, Felix

  • @saudagartebu8846
    @saudagartebu88462 жыл бұрын

    Oke semangat mantap sukses mampir 👍

  • @peteswelding09
    @peteswelding092 жыл бұрын

    Of all the places that you could have built that house,, it looks like you GOT THAT PART RIGHT,, by about 2 INCHES.

  • @oldscoolcooldiecast1879
    @oldscoolcooldiecast18792 жыл бұрын

    Who ever built all that built it well that's for sure

  • @billhause
    @billhause Жыл бұрын

    Holy Crap!

  • @gyprocman8163
    @gyprocman81632 жыл бұрын

    🇨🇦 If you got another flow like that. Post before and after shots.

  • @thehouseofstark
    @thehouseofstark2 жыл бұрын

    Hey Honey, I think we may have to find a way to gtfo. Seems the forest is flooding again

  • @dmmchugh3714
    @dmmchugh37142 жыл бұрын

    What did all that look like at the bottom ? Was there a massive debris pile of trees, etc ? Or did this all eventually wash into some river ?

  • @ophiuchus8105

    @ophiuchus8105

    2 жыл бұрын

    It turns out I have a video of that I got a hold of after the fact. It’s almost as impressive, will post it soon (and maybe do a follow up showing the change to our landscape).

  • @ophiuchus8105

    @ophiuchus8105

    2 жыл бұрын

    But to answer your question, it miraculously went through a culvert and then fed into a bigger river (Boulder Creek and the San Lorenzo River)

  • @breakingtoast2255
    @breakingtoast22552 жыл бұрын

    That one log is backing everything up bit like me after McDonald's

  • @simonartley1645
    @simonartley16452 жыл бұрын

    Regarding homes,and it would apoly to many fast flowing streams ...dont build them near the river,however tempting...or even allowed.It only takes one major event...and rivers dont follow planning rules...

  • @beakytwitch7905
    @beakytwitch79052 жыл бұрын

    It ain't drinking water.... D'ya think the name "Boulder Creek" might contain an implicit warning ?

  • @user-bh7pb2ss5z
    @user-bh7pb2ss5z2 жыл бұрын

    看著那些木頭一直往下流 我會覺得很可惜

  • @hansjohansson8053
    @hansjohansson80532 жыл бұрын

    👍🇸🇪❤️.

  • @ifeelbetterabouthis.louis3
    @ifeelbetterabouthis.louis32 жыл бұрын

    Awesome

  • @58jennypenny
    @58jennypenny2 жыл бұрын

    Bit close for comfort ay...

  • @brada4018
    @brada40182 жыл бұрын

    Thats way too close!

  • @leftymadrid
    @leftymadrid2 жыл бұрын

    Ok, that would make anyone bite their nails off!!!!!! Too close for comfort I would say!

  • @yopeepthisout
    @yopeepthisout2 жыл бұрын

    FOR SALE: Quiet 4br, 2ba, 1900 sq ft house located in the woods with a peaceful creek running through the yard.

  • @vmatthews9437
    @vmatthews94372 жыл бұрын

    BELOW THE PROPERTY, OFF SEASON PLACE STRONG IRON BARRIERS ------ COULD HAVE COLLECTED VALUABLE WOOD, DRIED IN SUMMER, USED ! ROUGHLY EXPENSIVE, DESCRIBED ======== MATTS'

  • @gatorshd
    @gatorshd2 жыл бұрын

    Holy S

  • @binaliaksunger7630
    @binaliaksunger7630 Жыл бұрын

    ❤️🌹❣️👍🙏💞💕👋👏

  • @user-fd7ju5sb6b
    @user-fd7ju5sb6b8 ай бұрын

    Americans crack me up, the places they build, and what they build out of.

  • @xadam2dudex
    @xadam2dudex2 жыл бұрын

    This just shows why you don't build on the edge of a creek or river .. Water has a tendency to flow down these paths .. So flood waters will also flow in the same paths .. Too bad there's no sound

  • @chrisskinner6291
    @chrisskinner62912 жыл бұрын

    Go figure the 13

  • @Don.Challenger

    @Don.Challenger

    Жыл бұрын

    That year in December it was a Monday the 13th.

  • @juliof9670
    @juliof96702 жыл бұрын

    mayb is time to sell the jouse dont wait for the worst. be careful

  • @Devonellah
    @Devonellah2 жыл бұрын

    This is why buying a house there is probably not a good idea... I was looking there and decided not to...

  • @juliof9670
    @juliof96702 жыл бұрын

    guaoo. i would cut any tree in the way of this creek so nothing would get stock for next rain season

  • @frankanddanasnyder3272
    @frankanddanasnyder32722 жыл бұрын

    Nice creek flood, but Not a debris flow....

  • @barbrn

    @barbrn

    2 жыл бұрын

    What do you call all those logs?

  • @charlesblack2523
    @charlesblack2523 Жыл бұрын

    Too close for comfort

  • @Tommes_Haeberle
    @Tommes_Haeberle2 жыл бұрын

    Stairway to hell

  • @tessfitzgerald6455
    @tessfitzgerald64552 жыл бұрын

    Not a debris flow? Hahahahaha, um, okaaaaaay. Let’s not show people actual footage of an actual minor debris flow cause, you know, them disaster experts got it all wrong-just verify it on Facebook 🤣 Stupid should be painful.

  • @sharonmccorkell

    @sharonmccorkell

    2 жыл бұрын

    No need for being sarcastic and derogatory. That convinces no one.

  • @tessfitzgerald6455

    @tessfitzgerald6455

    2 жыл бұрын

    One would hope with visual evidence, ‘convincing’ would be unnecessary.

  • @mommakittyhiking

    @mommakittyhiking

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@tessfitzgerald6455 Exactly Tess. There were literally whole trees flying down the creek...

  • @phoenixjim0527
    @phoenixjim05272 жыл бұрын

    8:10 = the deck didn’t wash away. This video is disappointing. Next.

  • @Don.Challenger

    @Don.Challenger

    Жыл бұрын

    Advice for your build: don't go with the low bid, interview your prospective general contractor longer with questions revealing their experience, expertise, quality and who they subcontract with - not if they take money under the table and evade the permitting process to lower prices even more. On buying: bring in a well known property and house inspector early on.

  • @EasyModeFishing
    @EasyModeFishing Жыл бұрын

    Definitely don’t build a house on a creek lol

  • @semsamatanovic5296
    @semsamatanovic52962 жыл бұрын

    ALLAHU AKBAR....LA IL LAHE IL ALLAHU!!!!!m

  • @nannettehuffman8397
    @nannettehuffman83972 жыл бұрын

    Why don’t you just build your house right on the creek? People complain or are scared about these floods, but yet build right on the creek. Than when the house gets swept away or damaged, the my insurance rates increase cause they have to pay for your desire to be that close to a creek/river. No sympathy here.

  • @Don.Challenger

    @Don.Challenger

    Жыл бұрын

    There was a wild fire close by and higher up the watershed, that tends to change things for the future somewhat. As to building on or over the creek, the culvert of the road crossing down stream ended up fine, so well engineered you can.

  • @edcarr9819
    @edcarr98192 жыл бұрын

    Pres Trump was correct about maintenance on forest. If the debris was managed, this would not be a problem.

  • @Berubium

    @Berubium

    2 жыл бұрын

    What? By raking the forest???

  • @edcarr9819

    @edcarr9819

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@Berubium There are several thousand " undocumented workets" that could EARN their free quarters and welfare checks by " raking" the forests!

  • @Berubium

    @Berubium

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@edcarr9819 sounds like you’ve got it all figured out.

  • @Don.Challenger

    @Don.Challenger

    Жыл бұрын

    Then ex president Donald should be out there with his own shovel helping Smokey Bear not endlessly screwing peoples brains up.

  • @oswaldoarango975
    @oswaldoarango975 Жыл бұрын

    bueno.el.incidente.pero.el. enfoque.que.el.bobo dela.camara hace.se.ve.que.no.tiene.ni.idea. de.como.se.hace.bien un.video. lastima.hubiera.sido.exelente video.se.lo.tiro.bobaso

  • @karenimholte5764
    @karenimholte57642 жыл бұрын

    Whoa! That’s crazy.

  • @brookeggleston9314

    @brookeggleston9314

    2 жыл бұрын

    Whoa; you spelled *whoa* correctly!!