With Santa Barbara County facing another strong winter storm, officials will evacuate communities near recent wildfire burn areas of the South Coast, including the Thomas Fire, Alisal Fire and Cave Fire.
An evacuation warning was issued Monday night and evacuations will be ordered at 8 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Office of Emergency Management.
Residents in the evacuation areas of southern Santa Barbara County should prepare to leave Tuesday morning, according to the county. They should fill their vehicle gas tank, and pack important documents and essential items.
People should leave an area immediately if they feel unsafe, and not wait for an evacuation order, the county said. People with disabilities, or access and functional needs should leave before Tuesday morning, and people with large animals should evacuate the area now, they said Monday night.
Click here for an interactive map of the evacuation warning/order areas and visit readysbc.org for more county information on the storm-related evacuations.
“Do not attempt to drive while it is dark or raining, as roads may be damaged or your car may be swept away by moving water or debris,” the Office of Emergency Management said in its evacuation messaging Monday night.
“Be prepared to sustain yourself and your households for multiple days if you choose not to evacuate, as you may not be able to leave the area and emergency responders may not be able to access your property in the event of road damage, flooding, or a debris flow.”
Roads leading in and out of the Sisquoc and Tepusquet communities could be damaged and become impassable in this storm, as they have in previous storms including the Jan. 9 system. Residents should either leave before the storm hits or prepare to sustain themselves for multiple days, the county said.
Many school districts in the South County have canceled classes on Tuesday, March 14, because of the storm, including at least the Santa Barbara Unified School District, Goleta Union School District, Carpinteria Unified School District, Montecito Union School and Cold Spring School.
Santa Barbara City College canceled classes at all of its campuses Tuesday, and will reschedule the superintendent/president finalist forums for Wednesday. “Exams and assignments due will be rescheduled,” SBCC spokespeople said in a statement Monday night.
UC Santa Barbara told instructors to cancel or reschedule class, or hold them virtually on Zoom. The campus was open but supervisors should “exercise maximum flexibility” allowing people to work from home on Tuesday, Chancellor Henry Yang said.
A flood watch is in effect from 7 a.m. Tuesday to 5 a.m. Wednesday, with heavy rain expected countywide.
“Heavy rain and excessive runoff may result in dangerous flooding of rivers, creeks, streams and other low-lying and flood-prone areas. Rivers and creeks that may be affected include, but are not limited to, the Sisquoc River, the Santa Ynez River, and San Antonio Creek. Extensive street flooding is likely. There may be mudslides and rockslides, especially in and near steep terrain,” the NWS said in its flood watch Monday night.
The Sisquoc River flows through northern Santa Barbara County, the Santa Ynez River (which includes the Jameson, Gibraltar and Cachuma reservoirs) runs through the central county, and San Antonio Creek runs through Goleta in the Turnpike Road and Patterson Avenue area.
Are you in a flood-prone area? Check FEMA’s flood risk maps for Santa Barbara County here. They include areas that flooded during the Jan. 9 storm, and some areas that are not near a river or creek.
The NWS also issued a wind advisory for 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday that includes the Santa Maria Valley, Lompoc Valley, Santa Ynez Valley, and Gaviota Coast. Winds of 20-30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph are expected.
The county ordered evacuations and shelter-in-place orders for several communities during the Jan. 9 storm that caused major flooding, road washouts and structure damage.
This week’s system is not expected to deliver as much rain as the January storm, but it will likely cause excessive runoff, quickly, since the ground is so saturated from all the recent rain, according to the National Weather Service.
The county’s readysbc.org website has emergency preparedness and response information, and links to sign up for alerts..
Visit the Caltrans Quickmap site for highway status and closure information here.
Visit the county’s Public Works website for local road conditions and closures here.