Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been issued a serious warning about their US home in Montecito, California. The nine-bedroom mansion, where the couple lives with their two children, is in an area prone to extreme weather, including mudslides caused by floods. Experts have said that once autumn comes, the rains will return and conditions could worsen.
Historic mudflow devastation
In January 2018, a mudflow in Montecito killed 23 people and injured 163. It caused £131 million in property damage, £5 million in emergency response costs, and another £32 million in cleanup costs. The disaster occurred one month after a series of major wildfires, which devastated steep slopes, causing loss of vegetation and destabilisation of the soil, greatly facilitating subsequent mudflows.
Approximately 21,000 residents of Santa Barbara and Ventura counties in high elevation zones affected by the Thomas Fire were evacuated. Low-lying areas were outside the mandatory evacuation zone. Many residents in the mandatory evacuation zone and most in the voluntary evacuation area ignored warnings and stayed in their homes, likely due to "evacuation fatigue" left over from the recent wildfires.
Previous owner's admission
The previous owner of Harry and Meghan’s home, Terry Cunningham, has said he didn’t consider the weather threats of the area. The millionaire businessman built the Chateau of Riven Rock over four years. Terry told The Mail: "We sure as hell didn't think about it [the mudslides] when we were building, but certainly it's something I would be thinking about now."
The property was purchased by the Sussexes for £11 million; however, a Zillow estimate says their mansion has now doubled in value and is worth £22 million. The couple have also purchased a home in Melides, Portugal, and is reportedly working on renovations, overhauling the property’s interiors. The £6.3 million property is situated at the exclusive CostaTerra Golf and Ocean Club.
