SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) -- Officials say 8 people have been killed by a mudslide during Southern California storms.

Authorities say 8 people have been killed by a mudslide that has destroyed homes during a powerful Southern California storm.

Santa Barbara County Fire Department Capt. Dave Zaniboni says the bodies were found in mud and debris during rescue operations Tuesday in Montecito northwest of Los Angeles.

Zaniboni says several homes were swept from their foundations and residents are unaccounted for in neighborhoods below hillsides scarred by recent wildfires.

Crews are working to clear debris from a key stretch of U.S. 101 that was shut down along the border of Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.