Road closures, downed trees and flooding were reported Thursday morning after sometime-heavy overnight rainfall.

Caltrans closed Highway 154 between State Route 246 in the Santa Ynez Valley and State Route 192 in Santa Barbara due to rockslides blocking lanes.

It was reopened at about 3 p.m., according to Caltrans.

Santa Barbara County areas had received several inches of rain in the 24-hour period ending at 6 a.m., with the South County’s El Deseo totaling 4.67 inches.

The storm dropped less rain than was expected and Santa Barbara County lifted evacuation orders at 9:30 a.m. Thursday.

The orders were issued Wednesday afternoon for South Coast communities near recent burn areas, due to concerns of storm-related flooding, mudflows and debris flows.

There were minor vehicle accidents and some trees down blocking roads overnight, but no major incidents, County Fire Capt. Scott Safechuck said.

“As people kind of start their day, they’ll be driving down roads they haven’t seen yet,” he said. There could be more fallen trees, rocks or boulders in the roadway, or downed power lines, he said.

People should stay away from embankments of creeks and rivers, since they could give way and people could fall into the rushing waters, Safechuck added.

The incident management team and pre-positioned storm response resources remained stationed in South County Thursday morning. The additional staffing resources include water rescue teams, heavy equipment operators and extra crews from local fire departments.

“Repopulation for the evacuation areas is a priority of ours. We will get people back in as soon as it’s safe,” Safechuck said as he headed into a 7 a.m. briefing.

The heavy amount of rainfall, on top of an already-soaked watershed from past storms, could cause a “saturation event,” Montecito Fire Protection District Chief Kevin Taylor said Wednesday. He compared conditions in Montecito to 1969, when a storm caused major damage and fatalities five years after the Coyote Fire burned the hills above the community.

The Thomas Fire burned the hills above Montecito, Summerland, Carpinteria and western Ventura County in late 2017 and the Jan. 9, 2018 Montecito debris flows killed 23 people and damaged hundreds of homes.

As of 6 a.m., 24-hour rainfall totals in the county were: 1.44 inches in Santa Maria; 1.93 inches in Lompoc;2.65 inches in Solvang; 1.44 inches in Goleta; 1.94 inches in Santa Barbara; 1.92 inches in Montecito; and 1.45 inches in Carpinteria.

The National Weather Service Los Angeles Office said Thursday morning that the storm delivered less rainfall than expected since the storm didn’t slow down as it moved through the region.

Here are the rainfall totals so far. Definitely less than what we were expecting as the storm did not slow down, but still healthy totals. More showers or thunderstorms expected into the evening hours, with an additional 0.10 to 0.75 inches expected. #cawx #larain pic.twitter.com/vW2wGRDTJ8

— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) January 5, 2023

High Surf Warning In Effect

The National Weather Service canceled a Flood Watch early around 12:20 p.m. “Minor flooding still possible with brief showers, but the threat for additional significant and damaging flooding is now minimal to none,” the NWS said.

The South Coast has a coastal flooding advisory and high surf advisory in effect through Friday.

North County areas have a high surf warning in effect through Friday morning for “dangerously large breaking waves of 16 to 22 feet with dangerous rip currents,” according to the NWS. “Sets up to 25 feet will be possible during the highest surf.”

The County Office of Emergency Management said Thursday morning: “Cliffs and bluffs are considered dangerous at this time due to severe weather conditions, including heavy rain and storm surges. Also, please avoid decks or patios on bluffs, and please do not cross safety fencing at the top of cliffs.”

Check back with Noozhawk for storm-related updates throughout the day.