Assessing the loss

FLOTSAM: Trash and debris that runoff from recent storms washed down the Los Angeles River litters the shore near downtown Long Beach. One local activist reported seeing piles of debris 8 to 12 feet high. The cleanup could take weeks.  (Luis Sinco / LAT)

SOMBER SEARCH: Sonya Nordstrom and her dog Drago look for survivors in the debris from the La Conchita mudslide. Ventura County officials prohibited new residential construction in the community after a 1995 slide.  (Spencer Weiner / LAT)

PORTRAIT OF SORROW: Bria Brazelton grieves over a body recovered from the mudslide debris on Tuesday as neighbor Tom Cottrill watches. At least six were killed by the disaster.  (Spencer Weiner / LAT)

STRICKEN: The slide’s deadly reach into the tight-knit coastal hamlet of La Conchita can be clearly seen in this aerial view. The mood was somber as more bodies were pulled from the muck.  (Stephen Osman / LAT)

MUCK: Sandy Townsend works her way across the ankle-deep mud in front of her house in Casitas Springs, which lies along the Ventura River south of Ojai.  (Carlos Chavez / LAT)

TORRENT: Water pours over Santa Felicia Dam near Piru, but an official said residents were not in danger because Piru Creek would be able to handle the overflow, which began about 9:30 p.m. Monday.  (Anne Cusack / LAT)

SURVIVOR: Friends and family visit with Greg Ray at Ventura County Medical Center, where the 61-year-old La Conchita resident was recoveringTuesday from surgery after being pulled from slide.  (Stephen Osman / LAT)