Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may have relocated back to Britain, but the couple has held onto both their Montecito mansion and their property in Portugal. Now, as they settle into their new routine in the UK, officials have issued fresh concerns about the safety of their American residence.
The update comes in the wake of the devastating California wildfires last year, which severely impacted many homes in the neighborhood surrounding the Sussexes’ property. During that crisis, Harry and Meghan reportedly opened their home to friends and family members who had been affected by the fires.
Now attention has turned to ongoing construction in the Montecito area, particularly work on Highway 101. With El Niño conditions expected this winter, there had been concern that the already vulnerable region could face worsened flooding and mudslide risks. The area, where the Sussexes reside, is also known to be prone to wildfires during the summer months.
According to the News Press, Caltrans Central Coast District Office Chief Joe Erwin sought to ease some of those concerns, though he stopped short of guaranteeing the area was fully protected.
“In the Hot Springs area, the freeway has the majority of its drainage completed,” Erwin said. “There’s still some work in the median we’re going to be doing.”
He added that the highway itself has been designed with flood mitigation in mind. “From the freeway perspective, we have as much drainage as we can put in to handle whatever comes onto it,” Erwin said.
However, Erwin was careful to note that no amount of infrastructure work could fully eliminate risk in the event of a severe storm. “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,” he said. “It overwhelms everything.”
The update comes as Prince Harry is currently in New York attending to a busy schedule of engagements. Given the circumstances back in California, it remains possible that the Duke could make time to travel to Montecito personally to check on the property and ensure the situation there remains under control.
While the Sussexes have not publicly commented on the flooding concerns or any plans to visit the property, the family’s decision to maintain the Montecito residence — alongside their UK move and Portugal getaway — underscores their continued ties to the U.S. even as their day-to-day life shifts back across the Atlantic.