Santa Barbara County has been working to clean up from this week’s record-breaking storm and preparing for more rain as soon as Friday.
The county asked for the Army Corps of Engineers to help clear debris basins, Santa Barbara County Public Works Deputy Director Julie Hagen said at Tuesday’s storm impact briefing.
“We need to clear about 500,000 cubic yards of material in a matter of weeks, so once we get them out here, we’re going to be asking them to work 24/7 until we get the basins cleared,” Hagen said. “As you know, it’s the beginning of the winter, there will be more storms coming, so we want to make sure we’re prepared.”
Public Works will be clearing debris basins to make way for the next storm and reduce the possibility of being topped or flooded, public information officer Lael Wageneck said.
“When the next storm does come, those basins are able to receive material again,” Wageneck said.
At the San Antonio Creek debris basin near Tucker’s Grove Park, workers were removing material Wednesday that will be sorted and tested, and then the sediment will be taken to Goleta Beach.
The process of taking certain types of debris down to the beach has occurred since 1994, according to Wageneck.
“By taking this silt material to the Goleta Beach, we’re also desilting Goleta Slough and some of the tributary creeks that go into there,” Wageneck said. “So that will also help water flow more smoothly through that area during the next storm.”
Southern Santa Barbara County has debris basins from Goleta to Carpinteria of varying sizes. Cleanup time depends on the size of the basin as well as what materials are deposited in the basins.
Wageneck said the large Santa Monica Debris Basin will take more than a week to clear out.
A truck dumps sorted debris from San Antonio debris basin at Goleta Beach Park Wednesday. Credit: Grace Kitayama / Noozhawk photo 
A drone photo of the San Antonio debris basin. Credit: Lael Wageneck / Public Works photo 
A drone photo of the Randall Road debris basin in Montecito. Credit: Lael Wageneck / Public Works photo 
Equipment digs debris out of the San Antonio debris basin Wednesday. Credit: Grace Kitayama / Noozhawk photo
Clearing Local Roads and Highways
In Montecito, workers were removing mud and debris from the Highway 101 and North Jameson Road area by San Ysidro Creek on Wednesday.
“We are working to clear areas before a rain event expected this weekend,” Caltrans District 5 spokesman Jim Shivers told Noozhawk. “We work to clear drainage channels of debris so the runoff is not blocked in any way. We have not received reports of any roadway or pavement damage in the region.”
The county ended storm-related evacuation orders and shelter-in-place orders on Tuesday, but some areas are still inaccessible because of road conditions or storm damage.
Hagen said Tepusquet Canyon roads in the Santa Maria Valley were impassable as of Tuesday.
Paradise Road of the Highway 154 corridor had multiple mudslides, and crews were responding to clear the roadway and assess the slope stability to see if it was safe to drive there.
Jalama Road in Lompoc Valley had a culvert failure, she said.
Portions of East Mountain Drive in Montecito and Gibraltar Road in Santa Barbara were washed away, and both roads will be closed for an extended period of time, according to Public Works.
State Route 150 is closed between Gobernador Canyon Road in Carpinteria and Highway 33 because of mudslides in multiple areas as well as debris on the road, according to Caltrans District 7 spokesman Michael Comeaux.
“We do have another storm coming in a couple of days, and therefore, Caltrans crews are working to clear what can be cleared and also to assess when it will be okay to reopen the road for safe conditions for motorists,” Comeaux said.
Highway 33 is still closed because of debris flows in which large rocks have fallen at multiple locations.
Amtrak has suspended passenger rail trips north of Goleta because of railroad track damage, according to the LOSSAM Rail Corridor Agency.
Isla Vista Bluffs
In Isla Vista, erosion around the bluffs was an area of concern, but according to Lisa Plowman, director of the Planning & Development Department, the bluffs were in “pretty good shape.”
There was some damage to beach access stairs and a bluff-top overhanging patio was undercut from last week’s storms, she said.
The county installed signs warning people to stay away from the bluff edges and not to walk on the beach under the bluffs, she added. The county will do beach walks and additional drone camera flights to check the area for damage, she said.
More Rain in the Forecast for Santa Barbara County
Santa Barbara will have a break from the rain until Friday, when a 30% chance of rain is expected, according to the National Weather Service.
On Saturday, there is an 80% chance of rain, and Saturday night there is a 70% chance of rain before 11 p.m.
A high surf advisory is in place in Santa Barbara until 10 p.m. Friday.
In Santa Maria, there is a 50% chance of rain on Friday night. On Saturday, Santa Maria can expect a 90% chance of rain. Sunday will be cloudy with no expected rain.
Lompoc can look forward to a 50% chance of rain Friday and a 90% chance of rain on Saturday.
On Sunday, Lompoc will be cloudy with a small chance of rain.
A high surf advisory is in place in Lompoc until 10 p.m. Friday.
In the Santa Ynez Valley, winds could reach 20 mph with a 40% chance of rain Friday.
On Saturday, there is a 90% chance of rain. On Sunday, rain is likely after 4 p.m.
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