Homeless Man Speaks About Floods

His shoes are caked in mud, his jeans stained with it, and his clothes covered in sludge. His trusty backpack and his clothes are all he has, but his shoes are relatively new. His face is similar to that of Elton John, except with the addition of a Oakland Raiders beanie.

Meet Brad "Barefoot" Schwartz, a homeless man who has lived in Laguna Beach for more than 15 years.

"I got the name 'Barefoot' because I used to always walk around without any shoes on," Schwartz recalls. "Good thing I finally saved up and got some this year, otherwise my feet would have been done this time."

Schwartz said the flood early Wednesday morning was one of the worst he can remember. Living outside in the rain and cold wasn't easy, either.

"Around 3 a.m. it was crazy," he said. "The streets were like raging rivers, and this time it was all just mud. It wasn't like 1997, when it was just water. This time the mud was just outrageous. The police and firefighters were all over the place, racing around to clean up everything they could."

Before the onslaught of rain, Schwartz already cleaned his clothes, socks and shoes. He wasn't prepared for yesterday's surge.

"A few days ago I was already caked in mud, and I just got these shoes not too long ago," he said. "I cleaned up everything, and then it rains again on me. This is the worst rain I've seen in 15 years."

As for his shoes? Schwartz doesn't plan on getting new ones just yet.

"These are still going strong," he said. "I'll keep them for now."