Edhat Staff
The National Weather Service has issued an Urban and Small Stream Flood Advisory for Santa Barbara County until 715 PM PDT. No evacuations are indicated.
A Flood Advisory means river or stream flows are elevated, or ponding of water in urban or other areas is occurring or is imminent. Moderate to heavy showers with isolated thunderstorms across portions of central and eastern Santa Barbara County are likely. These storms have a history of producing brief heavy downpours, with local rates of 0.20 inches in a 15 minute time period, or 0.30 inches in a 30 minute time period. These brief heavy downpours could cause pockets of urban roadway flooding, especially in low lying areas, as well as the potential for minor debris flows in the Whittier, Thomas, and Alamo burn areas. The evening commute could be impacted by these heavier downpours, including the Santa Barbara area.
Some locations that could experience flooding include Figueroa Mountain, Lake Cachuma, Whittier Burn Area, Thomas Burn Area, and Alamo Burn Area.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS: Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.
Source: County of Santa Barbara
Expected Rainfall Does Not Meet Threshold Levels for Evacuations
The National Weather Service and County emergency agencies are monitoring a storm system heading toward Santa Barbara County. Precipitation is expected to begin Tuesday (May 1) in the Santa Barbara area and continue through Wednesday afternoon (May 2).
At present, the National Weather Service is reporting an expected maximum rainfall of approximately 0.15 inches total. Rainfall intensity levels are not expected to exceed 0.25 inches per hour. This amount is below the threshold of 0.5 inches of rain per hour that activates evacuations warnings and orders near burn areas. There is a slight chance of thunderstorms in the area that may produce heavier rains.
Emergency officials are actively monitoring the storm and will take the steps necessary to inform the public if the storm increases in intensity. However, residents and businesses should monitor weather reports. For weather updates, visit www.weather.gov and enter a city or zip code for local forecasts. For storm readiness tips, visit www.ReadySBC.org. In Spanish, go to www.ReadySBC.org/es.
