Mandatory Evacuations Remain, Highway 101 Northbound Closed Until Tuesday

Latest Update: Evacuation orders have been lifed and roadways reopened. Read the latest update here.

Update by the edhat staff
4:30 p.m., January 9, 2023

Authorities held a third press conference on Monday afternoon to update the community on the storm conditions. 

National Weather Service (NWS) Meteorologist Eric Boldt stated we’ve received 5.5 inches of rain in downtown Santa Barbara, over six inches in the foothills, and 8-11 inches in higher terrain within 24 hours. But it’s over 12 inches on the San Marcos Pass that Boldt says is a historical record for the area.

Heavy rain and flooding is expected to continue until about 8:00 p.m. on the South Coast, about 1.45 inches of rain per hour, said Boldt. He emphasized it’s a very dangerous situation for flash flooding in not just the burn scars, but all areas of the county.

After 8:00 p.m. we’re to expect a noticable break in the rain for about five to six hours, but after midnight the air mass will become more unstable and we’ll see more showers redeveloping along with thunderstorms through about 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, says Boldt. 

Fire Chief Travis Edder with the incident management team stated all fire departments are open and able to respond to high priority calls. The county has so far received over 200 calls for service, including five water rescues, two of which were in the city of Lompoc.

Edder stressed the importance of staying home as more traffic on the roadway imepedes emergency response times.

Sheriff Bill Brown addressed all the road closures throughout the area, including the closure of northbound Highway 101 and the full shut down of SR-154.

Brown stated that SR-154 will not be reopened today due to rockslides and flooding at multiple sections of the roadway in both directions. 

Highway 101 northbound is closed at Mariposa Reina and will not reopen until tomorrow, hopefully. Brown said a rock net in Gaviota gave way causing a significant number of rocks and boulders to fall onto the road. Heavy machinery will need to be called in to clear the road and its unclear when that will be accomplished. 

More information provided below:

MANDATORY EVACUATION AREAS (as of 4:00 p.m. Monday)

EVACUATION ORDER has been issued for all of Montecito and Summerland communities. Toro Canyon, Padaro Lane from Calle Real to Santa Claus Lane. Serena Park in Carpintera. All residents of Sycamore Canyon in the City of Santa Barbara and Montecito. All campgrounds from Rincon to Gaviota including Gaviota State Beach, Refugio State Beach, and Carpinteria State Beach. LEAVE NOW!

A SHELTER IN PLACE remains in effect for Cave and Alisal fire burn scars. Go to innermost room or high ground. DO NOT attempt to leave. If already evacuated, remain out of the area.

An interactive map can be found here.

Loma Fire Area

Santa Barbara City Fire Chief Chris Nailes stated the area below the Loma Fire burn scar, homes that dead-end into Loma Alta drive where it meets San Andres and beyond, are NOT subject to evacuation or at risk of a debris flow.

Chief Nailes stated a comprehensive geology report from the Public Works Department shows there will be no significant debris flow. Just in case, city vehicles are staged in the area with Fire and Police Department’s patrolling the area. In the event that something does happen, door to door interactions will be initiated as well as a high/low siren commonly heard in Europe, said Nailes.

Downtown Santa Barbara, Mission Canyon & Riviera Areas

EVACUATION & ANIMAL SHELTERS

The Wake Center at 300 N. Turnpike Road in Santa Barbara is currently open for all evacuees. Authorities are currently looking at additional facilities for overflow.

EVACUATION CENTERS ADDED:

• An Evacuation Center is open at the Veteran’s Memorial Building, 941 Walnut Ave., Carpinteria.
• An evacuation center will open at 9:30 p.m. tonight at La Colina Jr. High School to accommodate overflow from the Wake Center. Individuals in evacuation areas and those that cannot travel home are welcome to wait in the parking lot in their cars prior to the 9:30 p.m. opening.

For small animals call 805-681-4332 at Santa Barbara Animal Shelter. For large animals call 805-892-4484 and Earl Warren Showgrounds are open.

The County Call Center is 833-688-5551. This number also provides mental health support for anxiety or other concerns, especially relating to the 1/9 Debris Flow

Call 211 for additional information or visit readysbc.org

ROAD CLOSURES

• Highway 101 northbound closed at SR-33 through Santa Claus Lane. 
• Highway 101 northbound closed at Winchester Canyon in Goleta
• Highway 101 northbound offramps and onramps closed intermittently throughout Summerland and Montecito
• Highway 154 closed in both directions. 
• Kinevan Road closed
• Stagecoach Road closed
• SR-192 flooding at SR-144/Barker Pass and Sycamore Canyon
• SR-150 Closed due to a rockslide
• SR-33 closed at mile marker 12 due to a rockslide
• Highway 1 closed between Black and Soloman Roads due to flooding

AVOID TRAVEL IF YOU ARE NOT IN AN EVACUATION ORDER ZONE. ROADS ARE FLOODED AND DANGEROUS.

Check here for storm-related road closures: https://www.countyofsb.org/3675/Storm-Related-Road-Closures

We have another thread going with all road closures. Click here to see it.

SCHOOL CLOSURES

Santa Barbara Unified School District and other schools within the Montecito and Goleta areas closed on Monday and will remain closed on Tuesday.

See the full notice here.

Airport Closure

The Santa Barbara Airport is closed due to flooding and flights are temporarily cancelled.

MTD Service:

Santa Barbara MTD bus service will be suspended as of 6:00 p.m. tonight, Monday, January 9, 2023. Service is expected to resume around noon on Tuesday, January 10, 2023. The public should stay tuned to MTD’s Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/santabarbaramtd for updates on service.

Update by the edhat staff
2:40 p.m., January 9, 2023

An EVACUATION ORDER EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY Jan. 9, 2023 for the following areas due to threats to life safety caused by the ongoing storm:

• ENTIRE COMMUNITY OF MONTECITO

• ALL RESIDENTS OF TORO CANYON, PADARO LANE FROM CALLE REAL TO SANTA CLAUS LANE IN CARPINTERIA AND SUMMERLAND AREAS

• SERENA PARK AREA IN CARPINTERIA

• ALL RESIDENTS OF SYCAMORE CANYON IN CITY OF SANTA BARBARA AND COMMUNITY OF MONTECITO

• ALL CAMPGROUNDS FROM RINCON TO GAVIOTA INCLUDING GAVIOTA STATE BEACH, REFUGIO STATE BEACH AND CARPINTERIA STATE BEACH

LEAVE NOW! This is a rapidly evolving situation. Please pay close attention to emergency alerts.

SHELTER IN PLACE REMAINS IN PLACE for ALISAL FIRE Burn Scar and identified properties in CAVE FIRE burn scar pending further notification.

Click here to access the Santa Barbara County 2023 January Winter Storm Incident Map.

Approximately ten minutes after the intial press conference concluded (which was reported on down below), Sheriff Bill Brown provided a second press conference with an update.

Sheriff Brown said this is a rapidly changing situation and based on conintuing high rate of rainfall that may not change before nightfall, the evacuation orders were enacted at 12:10 p.m. Monday and expanded it to the entire Montecito community, Toro Canyon, Padaro Lane, Sycamore Canyon, Old San Marcos area (Painted Cave area and below), and all campgrounds (Rincon to Gaviota).

Roads in the Alisal Fire burn scar, including Hollister Ranch, are currently impassible and residents are being asked to shelter in place until further notice.

High water vehicles are currently in the area taking people out, including Coast Village Road, said Sheriff Brown.

Schools have also closed in the above areas, as well as in the Santa Barbara Unified School Districts. Families should pick up their children as soon as possible.

“This is not a day to be out doing anything if you don’t have to,” said Sheriff Brown. 

Montecito Fire Chief Kevin Taylor reiterated this order applies to EVERYONE in the community of Montecito. In less than 12 hours we’ve received more than eight inches of rain with 7-8 inches still forecasted and the watershed is behaving unpredictably, said Taylor.

By the edhat staff
12:02 p.m., January 9, 2023

Santa Barbara County hosted a press conference at 11:00 a.m. Monday to inform the public on ongoing storm impacts and impending evacuations.

Sheriff Bill Brown urged residents in burn scar areas to shelter in place due to flash flooding, but to prepare for a mandatory evacuation later today when the Flash Flood advisory is lifted.

National Weather Service (NWS) representative Eric Boldt stated we’re currently experiencing rainfall intensitives of one-inch per hour which prompted the Flash Flood advisory.

These advisories are at least 3 hours in duration, but sometimes longer, said Boldt. It’s issued when the rain rate and rain recieved is over one-inch per hour. 

NWS expects the reain to increase more until about 6:00 p.m. with the county rainfall total is approaching a foot of rain in the foothill and mountain areas. This is causing dangerous runoff and flash flooding compounded with high winds, said Boldt.

A lull in activity is expected later today but this evening we’ll see a second wave of rain, thunderstorms, and 30-60 mph wind gusts are expected tonight through tomorrow morning.

Sheriff Brown stated those in the Alisal, Cave, and Thomas fire burn scars should not leave their homes as the roadways are too dangerous for driving. Most roads in the Alisal burn scar area are currently impassible due to flooding.

Once the Flash Flood advisory is terminated, Sheriff Deputies and Search & Rescue teams will be going door to door notifying residents of the mandatory evacuation along with electronic notifications.

“Do not call 911 when you receive an alert or notification unless it’s a real emergency,” Brown stated. Call 211 or 833-688-5551 for any storm questions, or visit readysbc.org.

Santa Barbara County Fire Chief Mark Hartwig stated each fire agency within the county has personnel and equipment staged and ready to respond to emergencies in their jurisdiction. A rescue task force and incident management team has been activated to quickly respond to incidents.

Hartwig stressed that everyone should have situational awarness during this storm. Embankments and surrounding creeks and rivers are weak and can give way, trees and powerlines could fall, and there was already one water rescue in the Refugio Canyon area this morning, he said.

“Our rescues in this county are often for people who misjudge the danger of moving water. Six inches is enough to take someone off their feet… and eighteen inches can float a car downstream,” Hartwig said.

Montecito Fire Chief Kevin Taylor addressed the tragic history of Montecito’s fatal debris flows, remembering the five lives lost in 1969 and the twenty-three lives lost in 2018.

“We are exactly 5 years removed from the 1/9 debris flow and our watershed is saturated,” said Taylor. “In the last 30 days we’ve received more than 20 inches of rain, 5 inches since 3:00 a.m. this morning. The community is at risk for a second debris flow from the Thomas Fire burn scar.”

Chief Taylor stated the Montecito area has more than 200 responders and rescuers prepositioned and ready.

“We ask that YOU if your property is located and determined to be at risk in the storm impact consideration map that you heed the evac order when its issued… together we will get through this event and any other challenge mother nature will throw our way,” said Taylor.