California flooding, mudslides leave 13 dead

Powerful rainstorm and flash floods have claimed the lives of at least 13 people in Southern California and forced thousands of people to flee from their homes.

Police said on Tuesday that the bodies had been found in mud and debris during rescue operations in Montecito, northwest of Los Angeles.

Thousands of residents in Santa Barbara County along the Pacific coast north of Los Angeles had been ordered to evacuate before heavy downpours struck, according to police reports. But only 10 to 15 percent followed mandatory orders.