Catastrophic disasters ravaged Santa Barbara County a little over two years ago, and since then, ongoing research has assessed long-term impacts on natural systems.
Local experts reflected on the December 2017 Thomas Fire and the deadly Montecito flash flooding and debris flows of Jan. 9, 2018, during a free community forum Sunday at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.
The Thomas Fire, which burned more than 281,00 acres in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, was followed three weeks later by the Montecito flooding and debris flows, which devastated the community, killing 23 people and destroying and damaging hundreds of homes in a matter of minutes.
At the packed forum in the Fleischmann Auditorium, attendees heard about the latest ongoing research assessing the extent of the disasters’ impacts, and what it might tell community members about how to improve response to future catastrophes.
The gathering featured a series of brief TED Talk-style presentations by specialists in the biological and social sciences, followed by a moderated panel discussion and a question-and-answer session with local officials and policymakers.
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History president and CEO Luke Swetland led a moment of silence for those who died in the debris flows and reaffirmed solidarity for residents who continue to rebuild after the disasters.
Speaking to the audience, he said the wildfire and debris flows had “terrible impacts on our community.”
Ash from the Thomas Fire and thick mud and debris roared down the denuded Montecito mountainsides and rumbled all the way to the ocean. The impacts of the twin disasters affected the coastline and the Santa Barbara Channel.
“Much has been done over the last two years to scientifically evaluate the nature and the severity of those impacts on our regional ecology,” Swetland said.
The South Coast Habitat Restoration, a Carpinteria-based nonprofit organization dedicated to environmental stewardship and habitat enhancement, created the “Fire and Flow Forum Strategic Plan” in the aftermath of the disasters.
The plan’s objective is to guide resiliency building and watershed recovery, organization director Mauricio Gomez said.
The collaborative process consisted of four meetings beginning in February 2018, he said. Gatherings were held throughout Santa Barbara and Ventura counties and included more than 150 participants.
Officials participating in the report were asked, “What is your top concern, right now, as it relates to watersheds in response to impacts of the fire and flood?”
Five priority focus areas were infrastructure and restoration; community science and outreach; research and monitoring; future management, preparedness and resiliency; and coordination and prioritization.
“It’s important to note that wildfire is a natural part of the Southern California landscape and plays an integral role in ecosystem functions,” according to the report. “However, wildfires in Southern California are becoming more severe and frequent due to anthropogenic influences and subtle shifts in climate.”
The report’s authors also warned that “the Thomas Fire will soon be forgotten by those not directly impacted, but it is important to remember that the impacts to our watersheds will echo for years to come.”
According to Gomez’s presentation, about 79 percent of the watershed burned in Carpinteria.
Other watershed burn rates ranged from 76 percent in the San Ysidro area, to 60 percent in Montecito, 51 percent in Romero Canyon and more than 80 percent in Ventura.
Recovery is occurring along creeks, trails, roads and other locations, Gomez told the crowd.
“It’s important to have strategic plans in place for how to plan for recovery and how to respond for recovery,” he said.
The UC Santa Barbara Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, the Community Environmental Council, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Santa Barbara Channelkeeper and the Santa Barbara Foundation hosted the two-hour event.
— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
