Rebuilding their lives

Gaviota residents still manage to smile after losing their home to mudslides

Mud burst through a wall loudly on Jan. 9 — the day that Taylor Graves and her boyfriend Zachary Briones lost their Gaviota home to mudslides.

But Ms. Graves and Mr. Briones are working on finding a new residence. And they appreciate the help they’ve received from others after becoming two of the many residents impacted by the recent storms.

Ms. Graves is originally from Michigan and moved to Santa Barbara in September 2021. Her boyfriend Zachary is a Goleta native. They moved to their home in Gaviota together in March 2022 and had lived there less than a year when a disaster struck.

“On Jan. 9, when we woke up at 7 a.m., our driveway was washed out, and we had to shelter in place due to two mudslides on the driveway and two mudslides up by the house,” Ms. Graves told the News-Press. “There was a high velocity of water flowing down and creating ruts through the driveway; water tunneled underneath and into the field. The driveway is still unstable.”

Ms. Graves described the day in more detail.

“We were hanging out in the house all day, and about 5 p.m., we were watching a movie and heard what sounded like pebbles falling. It sounded like lightning struck 10 feet in front of us. Mud burst through the wall and in a split second filled the bedroom and began seeping into the living room and kitchen. I found out the next day that it broke through the garage and filled the entire garage.”

She said mud filled two-thirds of the small, one-bedroom house. The home’s bathroom was spared.

“The mud came from the hillside behind the house, where nothing had ever happened previously, and there were some untouched poision oak trees in the mud,” said Ms. Graves. “When it occurred, our two cats were in the bedroom and our dog was on the couch with us. My one cat came flying out of the bedroom, and my other cat was still in the bedroom.

“I started digging in the mud and found her buried in mud with two legs trapped under the door. We called our only neighbor (Scott) at the bottom of the hill. He rescued us on his ATV,” Ms. Graves said. “He told us to grab essentials and he pulled my cat out. While we were evacuating, my other cat came flying out of the house. We didn’t find him until the following morning. 

“Scott carried me and the cat down the driveway on his ATV, and my boyfriend carried our dog down the unstable driveway.We stayed at my boyfriend’s house until Tuesday night.”

Four mudslides went down their driveway.

“There were two more cyclone storms after that, and everything was soaking in water and mud,” Ms. Graves said. “My boyfriend said that it smelled like something died and was trapped in the mud. Everything that is there is not viable.

“When my neighbor helped us evacuate, we had a boulder come down on the right side of the house and a mudslide as well. Several boulders came down and exposed tree roots. There is a lot of destruction on the property and to the home,” said Ms. Graves. 

But she and her boyfriend were still able to smile during a News-Press photo shoot at their home.

“The positive is that we are all safe,” Ms. Graves said. “My cat only had a laceration on her leg where she was trapped under the door. My boyfriend and I got a severe poison oak rash, and the rash is just now subsiding. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. 

“We are fortunate to be close to my boyfriend’s  parents who live in town. We are using this as an opportunity to save money to buy a condo while living with his parents,” she said.

“We have come up with a plan. We are going to buy a condo and live there for five to 10 years and renovate it. Good things have come out of it,” she said.

“I work at Mesa Cafe, and lots of local people including the owner, Ramiro Elizdale have been wonderful and kind, reaching out with help,” Ms. Graves said. “Ramiro really cares about his employees and has been very supportive. We have support from the cafe and the people that come in. Our situation would be a lot different without their support and his parents’ support,” said Ms. Graves.

 “It has been a difficult time, but it has opened up a lot of opportunities for growth in our future. It has also woken me back up to a new appreciation for everything we have and are given,” she said. “I find myself showing much more gratitude because you never know what can happen. I have become grateful for this experience from what it has shown me.

“Everything happens for a reason and I know good things are to come. Also, us and the fur babies are safe and healthy, which is all that matters. Possessions are always replaceable.”

email: kzehnder@newspress.com

FYI
Gaviota couple Taylor Graves and Zachary Briones were only able to retrieve some clothes and house decorations after they lost their Gaviota home to a mudslide.
To donate to help them, go to gofundme.com/f/natural-disaster-relief-mudslide-in-the-home?member=24650003&sharetype=teams&utm_campaign=p_na+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer,
You can also donate by Zelle: 586-747-1879 for Taylor Graves.