Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's mansion under threat as entire Montecito town told to evacuate

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's mansion is currently under evacuation orders as Montecito residents faced with flash flood warning

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's mansion is currently under evacuation orders as Montecito residents faced with flash flood warning
(Image credit: Photo by Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images)

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's mansion is currently under threat as the celebrity residents of Montecito are faced with flash flood warnings that previously killed people in 2018.


Harry and Meghan’s $14 million Santa Barbara mansion has been the royal couple's happy home for many years. However, the pair are now faced with severe weather warnings and many have been forced to evacuate their homes as flash floods descend upon the Santa Barbara area.

A tweet from the National Weather Service Los Angeles,"DANGEROUS LIFE THREATENING FLASH FLOODING across southern Santa Barbara county and central Ventura county through this evening as additional heavy rain moves into the area. Follow orders from emergency officials. #SBAWeather #cawx #LAWeather"

These warnings have been headed by celebrities who live in the local area, and many have used their platform to warn others, and highlight how bad the weather is in the area. Ellen Degeneres shared a video of herself outside in the extreme weather on social media. The caption of the post read, "Montecito is under mandatory evacuation. We are on higher ground so they asked us to shelter in place. Please stay safe everyone."

This isn't the first time there have been flooding issues in Santa Barbara. In 2018, there were serious floods that led to mudflows and particularly affected Montecito. 

In 2018, these mudflows caused the deaths of 23 people. A further 163 people were hospitalised, 4 of which were in critical condition. Along with the devastating loss of life, these previous floods caused $177 million USD in property damage, $43 million USD to clean up, and a further $7 million USD in emergency response services.

Oprah Winfrey, Ellen Degeneres, and Portia de Rossi are also neighbors to Meghan and Harry and are facing similar risks because of this flooding. Concerned residents have taken to social media to share their terrifying experiences.

"I’ve had at least 4 flash flood alerts hit my phone today. The heaviest rain is yet to come. This is crazy. #SantaBarbaraCounty #SantaBarbara #flooding #Montecito," said one concerned person living in Montecito. 

"Today is the 5yr anniversary of the deadly flood in Montecito… today it’s flooding again … pray for my family," said another resident.

"Southern California doesn’t get serious floods like this often. And, when it does, the infrastructure cannot handle it. The entire town of Montecito was evacuated (where the previous deaths in 2017 occurred). Please pray for our community," said yet another.

Laura Harman

Laura is the Entertainment Editor for woman&home who primarily covers television, film, and celebrity news. Laura loves drinking and eating and can often be found trying to get reservations at London's trendiest restaurants. When she's not wining and dining, Laura can also be found travelling, baking, and hiking with her dog.