[Click here for a gallery of storm-related photos]
The storm system that moved through Santa Barbara County on Tuesday gave the parched region its first good soaking in recent memory, but officials have been quick to say the drought is far from over.
Rainfall began in the early morning hours, and continued at a steady pace for much of the day.
Numerous vehicle accidents occurred on the rain-slick roadways, but no serious injuries were reported.
Minor mud and rock slides and localized flooding also were reported, but no significant damage.
As of 11 p.m., rainfall totals in most areas ranged from about two-thirds of an inch to more than 2 inches, according to the Santa Barbara Public Works Department.
The wettest spots were along the Gaviota Coast, which received 3.35 inches, and atop San Marcos Pass, which had 3.33 inches as of 11 p.m.
Santa Barbara received 2.03 inches as of 11 p.m. Other totals included Goleta at 2.19 inches, Montecito at 1.80 inches, Lompoc at 1.31 inches, Santa Ynez at 1.09 inches and Santa Maria at 0.72 inches.
By early evening, the front had moved to the east into Ventura and Los Angeles counties, according to Bonnie Bartling, a weather specialist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
Santa Barbara 2.03″ Goleta 2.19″ Montecito 1.80″ Lompoc 1.31″ Santa Ynez 1.09″ Santa Maria 0.72″
Forecasters set the chance of rain Wednesday at 20 percent.
“The main band (of rain) has gone through,” Bartling said. “We’re still going to have some scattered showers leading into tomorrow morning.”
Things should begin drying out on Thursday, Bartling said, with sunny skies expected into early next week.
Another weak weather front may move through the region Friday night into Saturday, she said, but it is expected to stay north of Pt. Conception and not produce much rain.
As the storm approached on Monday, Santa Barbara County officials said the rain was very welcome, but cautioned that several more storms would be needed in order for there to be significant runoff into depleted local reservoirs.
“We need a lot of these to get the watershed saturated, so if we get good storms in January and February, we will get runoff into the reservoirs,” Tom Fayram, the county’s deputy director of water resources, told Noozhawk on Monday.
An Urban and Small Stream Flood Advisory was issued shortly before 2 p.m. for Montecito, Mission Canyon and Santa Barbara, warning that minor flooding was possible in poor drainage areas, but the advisory had lapsed by early evening.
For those who still need them, sand bags are available at several locations throughout the county:
» City Corporate Annex Yard, 401 E. Yanonali St., Santa Barbara.
» County Fire Station 14, 320 N. Los Carneros Road, Goleta.
» Santa Barbara Maintenance Yard, 4568 County Dump Road, near Goleta.
» Santa Maria Maintenance Yard, 912 W. Foster Road, Santa Maria.
» Montecito Fire Station 1, 595 San Ysidro Road, Montecito.
» Santa Ynez Fire Station 32, 906 Airport Road, Santa Ynez.
Sand bags are not pre-filled.
More information concerning sand bags is available on the Flood Control Hotline at 805.568.3451 or mainline at 805.568.3440.
[Share your weather photos with Noozhawk: news@noozhawk.com]
[Click here for the latest forecast]
— Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
