Edhat Staff
By the edhat staff
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a flood watch predicting a good amount of steady to moderate rain over Santa Barbara County for the next three days.
The Flood Watch was issued Wednesday and is in effect from late Thursday afternoon through late Friday night for San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties.
A slow moving atmospheric river storm system will result in many hours of steady moderate to heavy rain. Rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches are expected, except 5 to 10 inches over northwest San Luis Obispo County, NWS reports.
NWS reports the most intense rain, and possible thunderstorms, to hit Santa Barbara will be Friday afternoon and evening.
Excessive runoff may result in extensive street flooding and dangerous flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations. This includes the Salinas, Sisquoc, and Santa Ynez Rivers.
NWS states residents should monitor later forecasts and be alert for possible Flood Warnings. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop.
As always, do not cross flooded roadways.
NWS images
They have been actively dropping Cachuma in anticipation of excessive runoff. It’s now down to almost 750’, which gives them about 3’ of reservoir capacity.
This event is really going to test all the flood control measures up and down the state.
You can navigate to Cachuma by selecting the “Reservoirs” tab in the link below.
https://rain.cosbpw.net/
4″+ more rain in SB? NWS point forecast right now is 2.49″ 101@154 from 4pm this afternoon till Fri.3am, so I had a look at the valley. They’re forecasting 3.41″ on Gibraltar, 2.62″ Cachuma, and that’s only at the middle of those lakes not including the whole watershed where there will surely be higher totals. Then from Mon.4am thru Wed.9pm another 2.36″ 101@154 and still raining after the end of their forecast period 2 hours later (again the valley will probably get more). Here we go again…
The sheriffs of several San Joaquin valley counties are calling for evacuations. It could be quite ugly for our fellow residents just north east of us. I bet there will be lots of calls for having paid more attention to the levees needed to protect many communities from flooding.
Big Sur Hwy. slides again too I guess. 🙁
When the tributary reservoirs are full and the ground is this saturated, Cachuma go up 10 feet easily from the 3 inches of rain currently predicted to fall. They released at 35,000cfs at one point during the last storm and likely will need to do so again.