Well, that was a week. And weather forecasts say it’s not over yet.

All things considered, Santa Barbara County weathered a monstrous storm that dumped more than 19 inches of rain so far this week.

The storm created so many perilous conditions as it slowly moved through, it’s remarkable that there weren’t more casualties and damage.

That’s not to say we escaped unscathed. Having lost my own house in Montecito’s disastrous flooding back on Jan. 10, 1995, I know better than most the long, frustrating, bewildering, expensive and often lonely journey that this storm’s victims must now confront.

But I also know that Santa Barbara County residents are driven by compassion and generosity. As they did five years ago after the deadly Jan. 9, 2018, Montecito flash flooding and debris flows, they will rally around those who lost so much.

For now, Noozhawk has a preliminary story on where to get assistance and resources. We’ll soon have a more comprehensive report on financial aid, recovery and restoration.

Our hearts and our prayers go out to the victims of this disaster, but I’m here to tell you that you’ll be survivors, too.

Of course, among the reasons things weren’t worse were the quick actions of first responders and good Samaritans who waded right in to help. Some things you have to think about, and some things you just do. That’s another local trait.

Amid the drama and even before the storm had moved on, municipal crews and private contractors were working throughout the county, and it’s impressive how much has been cleaned up in just a couple of days.

Preparations and government communications were not watertight, though, and there must be a legitimate and transparent review of our official emergency planning and strategies to improve it. Again. You have my word that Noozhawk will not ignore that crucial process.

For the time being, however, there appears to be an overriding sense of relief in the community. That’s worth celebrating before the next storm.

I do want to recognize and thank Team Noozhawk for the quality and quantity of our coverage of this storm. Our journalists and freelancers were seemingly everywhere, and they more than met the challenge of covering our biggest and broadest disaster in our 15-year lifespan. I’m proud of them and that.

The storm’s impacts also are reflected in our Google Analytics, which recorded an astounding 244,214 readers this past week — way more than doubling last week’s audience.

Of Noozhawk’s 20 most-read stories, 16 are storm-related. In the Top 10, nine are. Care to guess the outlier?

And speaking of that story, I must remind you that these Best of Bill columns are my own take on the Top 5 articles you were reading over the previous seven days, Friday through Thursday.

This is my opinion column, not a news story, and I write it in my civic capacity as Noozhawk’s publisher.

Thanks for reading.

1. Lake Cachuma Expected to Fill and Spill in Wake of Major Storms

Lake Cachuma has been mostly a shell of its former self for too long now so it’s exciting to see the water level tantalizingly close to spilling over Bradbury Dam on its west end.

The reservoir, which sprawls along Highway 154 in the Santa Ynez Valley, has been replenished significantly this year, and this week’s storms are likely to put it over the top.

Matt Young, manager of the Santa Barbara County Water Agency, was almost giddy when he talked to our Tom Bolton on Jan. 10, a day after a massive rainstorm walloped California.

“We’ll still be getting inflows to the lake for the next few days,” he said. “Just in the last day, it’s come up 34 feet, which is pretty unbelievable.”

As of Jan. 13, the lake stands at 85.3% of its 188,000 acre-foot capacity, and only about 10 feet from being completely full.

With a new storm due to arrive later in the day, water officials told Tom that they’re planning to begin releasing water through the dam’s spillways on Jan. 14 to make room for additional runoff upstream in the Santa Ynez River watershed. Click here for the latest developments.

In spite of the planned release, Young estimated that the lake could fill up and start pushing over the dam by Jan. 14.

That last happened in 2011.

In December, the 31,000-acre reservoir — the largest source of water for much of the county — was looking at a grim 2023.

Water agencies that rely on it were informed there wasn’t enough supply on hand to meet an increased demand. Groundwater basins in the Santa Ynez and Lompoc valleys to the west were seriously depleted.

Those decisions will be revisited in the wake of a full Cachuma.

2. Photos and Videos of the Storm Flooding in Santa Barbara County

Here’s a shout-out and a thank you to all of you Noozhawk readers who shared your photos, videos and social media posts from this week’s storm. We are grateful to have your help as our eyes and ears!

Please feel free to send submissions to news@noozhawk.com. We try to include as many as we can.

3. Road Closures, Evacuation Information and Other Storm Resources for Santa Barbara County

At the height of the Jan. 9 storm, and with conditions rapidly deteriorating throughout Santa Barbara County, our Serena Guentz and Giana Magnoli teamed up on a wide-ranging resource guide for Noozhawk readers.

With updates throughout the night and into the next evening, readers were able to get the latest evacuation orders and flooding maps, road and highway closures, school closures and announcements, weather updates and more.

Even as our team added new breaking news stories to our coverage lineup, Serena and Giana managed to keep their guide current.

It underscored how experienced our professional journalists are in dealing with disaster, and how we can communicate sometimes life-and-death information to our readers with accuracy, efficiency and reliability.

4. Storm Batters Santa Barbara County, and It’s Not Done Yet

I’ve stated before that our Tom Bolton stands alone among Central Coast journalists in general, but especially when breaking news is involved.

His main storm story that we posted just before 4 p.m. Jan. 9 is a master class of reporting, weaving together critical, time-sensitive information from throughout Santa Barbara County, along with historical context and a larger perspective. You can read that for yourself.

But what you can’t detect is that all of that news competing for his attention still had to be confirmed and organized and crafted and blended together in a compelling narrative, now.

Oh, and it all was coming at him with the speed of a Brusdar Graterol fastball.

As a veteran journalist myself, I can assure you that it’s easier read than done, and those who can do it are few and far between.

Tom’s also a huge influence on our staff, and it pays off at times when we don’t have much time to blink, let alone think.

5. Deborah Schwartz Caught on Video Allegedly Taking Navajo Rug

In an ordinary week, the saga of former Santa Barbara mayoral candidate Deborah Schwartz would have easily finished first on the Best of Bill Top 5 list of most-read stories.

And our Josh Molina’s explosive exclusive about her alleged shoplifting incident was well on its way when the Jan. 9 storm pulled the rug out from under it.

Schwartz persisted in a tough news cycle, however, and sneaked into the No. 5 spot.

Were it not for a security camera inside Star Rug Cleaners, she might have sneaked off — for good — with a circa 1880s collectible rug valued at between $800 and $1,500.

As Josh reported, the video he obtained catches Schwartz placing the rug — a Germantown Navajo saddle blanket — on the floor, unrolling it, folding it up and stuffing it in the white tote bag she was carrying.

In the video, the rug shot goes down while the Star Rug employee briefly goes to the back of the store at 26 E. Cota St. in downtown Santa Barbara.

That was on Nov. 17.

Store owner Mike Jensen filed a report with Santa Barbara police the next day, but he told Josh that he just wanted his rug back.

“I collect Navajos,” he explained. “It was one of my personal collection items.”

Nearly two months later, he said, Schwartz returned the rug, telling him she had been “borrowing it.”

I’m sure it’s just coincidental, but her apparent borrower’s remorse came after Jensen told Schwartz he would get others involved to get his rug back and Josh called to ask her about the incident.

Schwartz did not return Josh’s calls so I don’t know whether she would have issued a blanket denial of wrongdoing or cop to the rug bust, but the one-liners practically write themselves.

A land-use planning, policy and government affairs consultant, Schwartz served on the Planning Commission for 12 years, and ran unsuccessfully for mayor as well as the City Council.

Until Josh started poking around, she also served as board treasurer of the Democratic Women of Santa Barbara County.

After he contacted the organization for comment, its leadership met with Schwartz and then gave him a terse statement.

“At this time, Deborah Schwartz is no longer serving as treasurer or on the board of directors of Democratic Women,” the statement said.

“We have no other comment.”

•        •        •

Good Reads

Noozhawk had more than storm stuff this past week. Here are six additional stories that are worth your time:

» Intrigue Swirls Over Possible Sale of Paseo Nuevo Mall in Santa Barbara — Staff writer Josh Molina has been spending a lot of time on the La Cumbre Plaza developments but notices that there apparently is a sale tag on Paseo Nuevo in downtown Santa Barbara.

» Cold, Wet and Hungry: Surviving a Wet Night in the Mud — Outdoors columnist Ray Ford wades into Montecito’s muck and pulls out a nerve-wracking human interest story with a happy ending.

» Small Plane Makes Emergency Landing on Highway Between Buellton, Lompoc — North County editor Janene Scully reminds us that you never know what you’ll encounter on Santa Barbara County’s highways and byways.

» SpaceX Rocket Launch Slips Again, Now Aiming for Sunday — The latest SpaceX rocket is ready to go at Vandenberg Space Force Base, but Janene reports that the weather isn’t cooperating. Do launch officials not read Noozhawk?

» ‘Bicycle Bob’ Shifting Gears After Nearly 40 Years in Bike Business — Josh catches up with Bob “Bicycle Bob” Zaratzian, who is riding into retirement after 40 years at the popular bike store he founded.

» Mark Patton: Dons’ Family Loses Another Cunningham Brother — Football legends Sam and Randall Cunningham got the bulk of the gridiron glory, and sports columnist Mark Patton explains why younger brother Anthony “A.C.” Cunningham was fine with that.

•        •        •

Last Year on Noozhawk

What was our most-read story this time last year? Mother Shares Nightmare Scenario: Intruder in Her Santa Barbara Home.

•        •        •

Bill Macfadyen’s Story of the Week

This takes tending your crops to a whole new level — in John Deere green: John Deere Says It’s About to Jump in the Satellite Business.

•        •        •

Best of Bill’s Instagram

Like most everyone else in Santa Barbara County, my Instagram feed is filled with storm photos this time.

•        •        •

Watch It

This gets a language warning, but it’s a bear market that’ll make you laugh. HT to Best of Bill reader Jeff Price.