Governor Arnold Visits Mudslide!

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says California has seen "the power of nature cause damage and despair" after nearly a week of record-breaking rainfall.

But he says people will "match that power" with their own resolve.

He's just wrapped up a tour of La Conchita -- the scene of Monday's mudslide. Schwarzenegger says he's determined to make the town safe again for people who want to rebuild and offered his support for residents willing to return, declaring a state of emergency, which will facilitate the rescue and recovery and rebuilding.

"I am going to help them so they can come back here," Schwarzenegger said in La Conchita. "We will do everything that we can to make it a safe area. I totally understand that there's nobody that wants to be chased out of their neighborhood."

The Governor toured the neighborhood on Wednesday and praised the hundreds of rescue workers on the scene.

"They have been working around the clock and they've been using state-of-the-art equipment in order to find survivors," said Mr. Schwarzenegger. "So far, they have rescued 10 people".

Ten bodies have been pulled from the muddy mess so far. Officials say three people are known to still be missing. The number of those unaccounted for was reduced when four residents were discovered to be alive and well. Torrential rain has snarled traffic, knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of customers and killed 28 people across the region.

The 30-foot mudslide was triggered by five days of almost nonstop rain.

La Conchita is approximately 70 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

Rescuers have been sifting through the mud with shovels and bare hands. They're also dropping tiny video cameras into holes to spot what's under the 30-foot debris pile.

Global Arnold Staff