THE HUMAN IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE Climate Reality Leader Kathi King is a resident of Santa Barbara County, California. In January 2018, a major mudslide swept through the area following wildfires that destroyed vegetation that otherwise could have held back the earth. At least 20 people were killed, and Kathi was forced to take refuge in a tree until help arrived. She shared her story with Climate Reality: “The Thomas Fire, the largest in California history, was contained in early January, just in time for a storm to approach Santa Barbara, with warnings of debris 昀氀ow from the denuded hillsides. We remained awake and vigilant through the night of January 8. At about 3:30 AM, the sky glowed orange. The power went out. We got in our packed cars and headed for a rendezvous nearby. “I left 昀椀rst, using the Highway 101 frontage road. A van up ahead turned around at an intersection, so I did too, thinking if the van couldn’t cross whatever was ahead, neither could my Prius. As I made the U-turn, the street turned into a river and my car began to 昀椀ll with water. “I saw the pillars of a driveway in the glow of my taillights. I wedged my car against a tree, squeezed out onto the roof, wrapped my arms around a branch, and began making phone calls. I called my husband and son – no answer. I feared the worst.” 12