A look at the aftermath of the recent storms in Santa Barbara County
Lake Cachuma Reservoir is at 92.5 percent capacity after recent rains.
The storm that hit Santa Barbara County this weekend was significantly less damaging than the storm which hit on Jan. 9, but the county is still reeling from the aftereffects of the deluges.
According to Santa Barbara County PIO Kelsey Buttitta, there is no access to Jalama Road due to slip outs and other road damage, the Old Coast Highway is closed at Highway 101 and San Miguelito Canyon is completely closed due to debris on the road. East Mountain Drive at Cold Spring is also completely closed and other portions of East Mountain Drive have limited access.
On Friday, Montecito Fire Chief Kevin Taylor told the the News-Press that East Mountain Drive would likely require several months worth of repairs.
Roads with limited one lane access include: Gibraltar, Tepusquet Road from State Route 166 to Santa Maria Mesa Road and Refugio Road.
“There is no estimate for the opening of Highway 154 from the 154/246 Roundabout to Santa Barbara. This is according to our field staff this afternoon. Work remains focused on removing rocks and debris from the roadway and performing slope work, which was impacted by the storm,” Jim Shivers, PIO for Caltrans District 5, told the News-Press on Tuesday. “Highway 154 at the Alamo Pintado Creek Bridge is closed at this moment. We are hopeful for an opening by this evening. We had to perform earthwork near the abutments below the bridge due to the failure of a drainage facility.”
According to Ms. Buttitta, all but one debris basin on Randall Road are completely full.
“Crews are working round the clock cleaning out debris basins and culverts,” she said. “The National Guard is working on Randall Road Debris Basin and is expected to remain for another week or two. We have state parks closed including the Los Padres National Forest, and all local parks and trails are closed and this may be extended for several months.”
Ms. Buttitta said that Planning and Development had received 62 requests for inspection of residences, and 48 had been completed as of Tuesday night. Four resulted in red tags indicating that the building cannot be entered, 32 resulted in the building being declared uninhabitable and 12 were deemed safe to live in.
Santa Barbara County has closed public access to Goleta Beach Park at Sandspit Road due to emergency beach nourishment operations that began on Jan. 11 and will continue as needed until facilities have been cleared. Work will occur 24 hours a day, seven days a week for approximately the first ten days in an effort to complete the process sooner, protect the communities below the impacted basins and minimize beach closures.
Large rocks and debris from basins below the Cave Fire and Thomas Fire burn areas will be sorted from the basin material before it is transferred to the beach, according to a press release sent out by Lael Wageneck, PIO for the Santa Barbara County Public Works Department.
According to Ms. Buttitta, the county is moving more into recovery mode. More information and resources can be found at https://www.readysbc.org/ including a virtual local assistance center.
The reservoir levels are as follows as of 5:30 p.m. Tuesday: Alisal is at 600.10 ft, 2,389.00 acre-feet and 37.40 inches of rainfall in total for the year; Cachuma Reservoir is at 92.5 percent capacity, 748.20 ft, 178,0365 acre-feet and 21.21 inches of rainfall in total for the year; Gibraltar is at 100 percent capacity, 1399.99 ft, 4,691 acre-feet with an outflow of 1,000 cubic feet per second and 34.95 inches of rainfall in total for the year; Jameson: 100.8 percent capacity, 2,224.32 ft, 4,888 acre-feet and 39.99 inches of rainfall in total for the year.
“Twitchell capacity is 194,971 acre feet and it is currently at 63,705 or 32.6% capacity. Gibraltar and Jameson reservoirs are at full capacity. Cachuma Reservoir level is within 2 feet of full nominal capacity at elevation … gradually rising,” Mr. Wageneck told the News-Press.
Today’s forecast is sunny with a low of 41 degrees and a high of 59. Thursday is partly cloudy with a ten percent chance of rain at night and a ten percent chance during the day with a low of 42 degrees and a high of 60 degrees.
email: kzehnder@newspress.com
