Santa Barbara County officials lifted evacuation orders for South Coast communities at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, including residences and businesses in the Alisal Fire, the Thomas Fire, and the Cave Fire burn areas.
However, some storm-related road closures may prevent people from returning home, Santa Barbara County spokeswoman Kelsey Gerckens Buttitta said.
Highway 154 was closed between State Routes 246 in Santa Ynez Valley and State Route 192 in Santa Barbara after multiple rockslides and mudslides were reported on the roadway
The highway was reopened at 3 p.m., according to a tweet from Caltrans District 5.
Refugio Road on the Gaviota Coast is closed due to flooding.
“While we are able to allow residents to return home, we remind everyone that this was a serious storm that caused impacts across the county,” Buttitta said. “Please be aware of loose and falling rocks, minor landslides, wet road conditions, downed trees and (power) lines
“We understand that evacuation orders are burdensome, and we appreciate the community’s cooperation in following the guidance to leave yesterday before the more intense rain.”
The heaviest rain and high winds associated with the current storm have passed through the region, but additional rain is expected Thursday, and there could be brief thunderstorms, according to the National Weather Service.
A countywide Flood Watch ended around 12:20 p.m. and high surf warnings were in effect for coastal areas.
The county’s Type 3 All-Hazard Incident Management Team remained activated, and there are CalOES-funded and local storm response resources prepositioned in the county, including water rescue teams, heavy equipment operators and extra firefighting personnel.