Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may have moved back to Britain but they have decided to keep their Montecito mansion and their Portugal bolthole.
As the couple settle in their routines in the UK, they now have some worrying news about their American home, as officials have issued. Due to the devastating California wildfires last year, many of the neighbouring homes faced a very difficult time.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had stepped up and offered their home as a refuge to their friends and family, who may have suffered losses in the fires.
The Montecito area is currently undergoing work, most notably the Highway 101 construction. There were concerns that the El Niño conditions will exacerbate the weather in the area, which is already vulnerable.
There is risk of flooding and mudslide issues in winter, and the suburbs where the Sussexes live is susceptible to wildfires in summer.
According to News Press, Caltrans Office Chief Joe Erwin has reassured the public that this won’t be the case.
“In the Hot Springs area, the freeway has the majority of its drainage completed,” said Joe, who oversees the agency’s Central Coast district. “There’s still some work in the median we’re going to be doing.”
“From the freeway perspective, we have as much drainage as we can put in to handle whatever comes onto it,” Erwin said, responding to questions.
“To say that it’s one hundred percent flood proof, I don’t think the entire region can handle major significant flooding, those fifty-year storms,” Erwin said. “It overwhelms everything.”
The update also comes around the time when Prince Harry is in New York for a busy schedule of meetings. It is possible that the Duke would make necessary arrangements and visit Montecito to ensure everything is alright.
2026-09-23 15:37:00
