More rain is on the way for Santa Barbara County with a continuous storm expected to last through Saturday night.
Friday night through Saturday afternoon is the period of “most concern,” with the heaviest rainfall expected during that time, according to Ryan Kittell, meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
The Santa Barbara County South Coast could get another 2 to 3 inches of rain between Friday afternoon and Sunday morning, in addition to the inches of rain the region already got, the NWS said. Mountain and foothill areas could get an additional 3 to 6 inches of rain, and the North County areas could get 1 to 2 more inches of rain, according to Kittell.
The rainfall rates are expected to be 0.25 to 0.5 inches per hour during the peak of the storm, and some areas could get up to 1 inch per hour, Kittell added.
The storm is expected to have a moderate risk of flash flooding, debris flow and urban flooding.
The flood watch, which was originally expected to start at 4 a.m. Saturday, has been moved up to 1 a.m. Saturday, lasting until 10 p.m. that day.
A flood watch means there’s at least a 50% chance of flash flood warning-level impacts in the area, such as roadway flooding and closures, urban structure flooding, and heavy creek and river flows with the potential for a creek or two to overflow, Kittell said.
He emphasized that the majority of residents will not experience dangerous flooding, but some likely will.
“The message is not to scare everyone, but certainly it’s best to be overprepared instead of underprepared,” Kittell said. “We just don’t know exactly where those those dangerous or damaging flooding will occur.”
The highest chance of a getting flash flood warning is on Saturday from 3 a.m. to 6 p.m. for Santa Barbara County, he noted.
“That’s really just for the southern part of the county, not so much the northern part of the county, which includes the Lake and Gifford (fire) burn scars, just the southern part,” Kittell said.
While the storm didn’t bring much thunder and lightning Thursday night, Kittell said there is a 20% chance of thunderstorms Friday afternoon through Saturday afternoon.
He explained that they don’t expect a bunch of lighting, but do expect for the storm to behave like a thunderstorm.
Beyond Saturday, more rain is expected Sunday night and into next week.
Check the latest forecast and weather-related alerts here.
Warming shelters will be open throughout the county Saturday and Sunday from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. for people who are unhoused. Locations include:
- 333 North Second St. in Lompoc
- The Veterans Hall at 112 W. Cabrillo Blvd. in Santa Barbara; only open Saturday
- Trinity Episcopal Church at 1500 State St. in Santa Barbara; only open Sunday
- Carpinteria Community Church at 1111 Vallecito Road in Carpinteria
- The Atkinson Center at 1000 N. Railroad Ave. in Santa Maria
Storm and Flooding Resources
More storm-related information is available for Santa Barbara County residents at: readysbc.org/4793/Major-Storm.
Sign up for emergency alerts here.
The City of Santa Barbara activated its emergency parking program.
A list of locations to fill up sandbags for free: countyofsb.org/2219/Sandbags
How to stack sandbags properly: news.caloes.ca.gov/using-sandbags-safely/
Check your area’s flooding risk: floodsmart.gov/
Storm readiness tips from Santa Barbara County
Ready.gov: Preparing for Flood
Department of Water Resources: Ways to be flood ready
