MONTECITO, Calif. —
A powerful winter storm swept into Southern California on Monday, forcing the mass evacuation of Montecito and other communities exactly five years after mudslides in the same area left 23 dead.
Heavy rain wreaked havoc across coastal counties north of Los Angeles, causing flooding, road closures and tragedies, including the death of a motorcyclist who drove into a flooded road and the presumed death of a 5-year-old boy years that was swept away by the flood. San Luis Obispo County waters.
The storm, which was expected to move through Los Angeles, Orange and other southern counties through Tuesday, dumped more than 16 inches of rain in some mountain areas on Monday, prompting people to stay indoors.
The National Weather Service called the storm “the most impressive storm since January 5-7, 2005.” A weaker second round was expected to reach San Luis Obispo County by dawn, Santa Barbara County by mid-morning, Ventura County by mid-to-late morning and Los Angeles County by late morning in the morning or in the early afternoon. The rain should end by Tuesday evening.
Tuesday morning’s incursion could dump up to two-tenths of an inch of rain per hour. Those “are not strong enough to cause problems on their own, but they will not allow the standing water to recede and flood warnings continue across the area,” the weather service said. Thunderstorms are likely, especially in San Luis Obispo County and northern Santa Barbara County, which could produce hail and damaging wind gusts, and even the possibility of weak tornadoes if a waterspout reaches land
“This is not a day to go out doing anything you don’t have to,” Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said.
The storm targeted Los Angeles County Monday night, causing widespread street flooding and trapping some people in cars. Firefighters rescued two people after their cars fell down a sinkhole that opened up in Chatsworth. In Ventura County, firefighters rescued a man who was on the roof of his car after it became stuck in a flooded road.
Normally tame stream beds were transformed into raging torrents. Roads were choked with water and debris, and in one case a person was seen wading in a kayak through a flooded street up to their windshield.
In Montecito, the storm recalled devastating mudslides in January 2018 that killed 23 people, destroyed 130 homes and caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage. Officials hoped flood control improvements made in the wake of that event would help better protect communities this week.
On Monday afternoon, Ryan Ausanka-Crues walked about 100 feet from his home on East Valley Road to a bridge over Montecito Creek. The stream was full and roaring, the sound of rocks falling from the muddy water.
“I was there a couple of hours ago and I took a video,” Ausanka-Crues said. “It’s wild.”
During the 2018 mudslides, her house was spared damage, but her neighbors’ were not. Still, Ausanka-Crues said she had no plans to leave just yet.
“I’m really good this year, but you never know,” he said.
Alfredo García, 55, couldn’t find a hotel after he drove his wife, who is battling cancer, from Lompoc to Santa Barbara for a PET scan. When they tried to return, the roads were closed.
Garcia was one of the first to arrive at a temporary American Red Cross shelter at Cathedral Oaks School, where she helped set up cribs.
“It’s hard for her here,” said Garcia, who left at one point to buy Tylenol for his wife. “But I’m sure there are other people who are having a harder time than us. We are blessed that someone opened the door for us and gave us shelter here.”
The evacuation in Montecito was largely due to the types of hazards that can present with steep terrain and wildfire burn scars, said Michael Anderson, state climatologist for the California Department of Water Resources.
“When you have heavy rain waves like this, it makes the land more prone to landslides and debris flows,” he said. “And to make sure we don’t repeat the incidents after the Thomas fire, they wanted to evacuate people from that area.”
In addition to Montecito, the evacuation order applied to residents of Toro Canyon, Padaro Lane from Via Real to Santa Claus Lane and Sycamore Canyon, and all campgrounds from Rincon Beach to Gaviota Beach.
Another evacuation order was later issued for the Serena Park area due to flooding.
In Santa Barbara, confused tourists and businessmen snapped photos of flooded buildings. A BMW SUV was stuck in two feet of water in the middle of Calle Gutiérrez.
Nearby, in Goleta, the storm forced Rudy Ramírez, 55, and his wife and four children out of the torrent in their truck. The family was returning home to Santa Maria after a vacation in Big Bear when the 101 freeway closed and left them stranded. Since all the hotels were booked, they had no choice but to spend the night in the truck.
“I don’t feel good about it, but we have no choice. You go on vacation thinking you’re going to relax. Now look where we are,” Ramírez said with a laugh.
By early Tuesday, , the storm had dropped spectacular rainfall totals across the region: 16.34 inches on Nordhoff Ridge in Ventura County, 16.05 inches on San Marcos Pass in Santa Barbara County and 16, 01 inches at Matilija Dam in Ventura County.
Rainfall records were broken at Santa Barbara Airport on Monday, which received 4.22 inches, breaking the record of 2.83 inches set for the same calendar day in 2005. The 3.42 inches at Santa Barbara Airport Santa Maria broke the last calendar day record set in 1907, when 2.03 inches. inches fell off.
In Los Angeles County, Porter Ranch saw 5.85 inches of rain Monday; Woodland Hills, 5.35; Bel Air, 4.98; Hollywood Depot, 4.63; Beverly Hills, 4.35; Alhambra, 4.19; Hills of Agoura, 4.16; Pumpkins, 3.75; Pasadena, 3.66; La Cañada Flintridge, 3.49; Eagle Rock Reservoir, 3.48; Canoga Park, 3.35; Northridge, 3.19; Van Nuys, 2.81; center LA, 2.38; and Burbank, 2.29. The mountains of LA County received up to 7.65 inches of rain on Monday.
Much of Southwest California was under a flood watch and warnings for high winds and waves throughout the day, according to the National Weather Servicewith many of the advisories extending into Tuesday.
In Ventura County, evacuations were ordered for the Ventura Beach RV Resort; residences on the south side of Creek Road from Camp Comfort to Highway 33; and the community of La Conchita, where a mudslide killed 10 people in January 2005. Officials also cautiously watched for flooding on the Ventura River, which has been the site of homeless encampments.
According to Ventura County Fire Capt. Brian McGrath, 18 people were rescued Monday from islands and areas under bridges along the Ventura River.
In San Luis Obispo County, rescuers called off the search for a 5-year-old boy who was washed away Monday afternoon when conditions became unsafe for divers to continue searching, according to Tony Cipolla, a spokesman for the county sheriff’s office.
Firefighters responded to a call about 8 a.m. about a vehicle at the San Marcos Creek crossing near Wellsona Road outside San Miguel, Cipolla said. A mother and her 5-year-old son were trying to cross a road that had flooded; after the car began to be dragged down the stream, they both jumped out.
The mother was rescued by a nearby homeowner, but the boy continued down the waters, according to Cipolla, who added that authorities are constantly reassessing conditions and will resume the search if it is safe to do so.
Elsewhere in San Luis Obispo County, a motorcyclist died after entering a flooded portion of Avila Beach Drive, according to the Coastal Division of the California Highway Patrol. Evacuations were ordered in several neighborhoods near the Salinas River in Paso Robles.
The rain closed sections of the 101 Freeway and other roads throughout the day and forced the closure of the Santa Barbara airport and the cancellation of classes Monday and Tuesday at UC Santa Barbara.
In Santa Maria, a dozen homes were evacuated after a sinkhole opened up along Union Valley Parkway. Monday night, officials rescued three people from two vehicles east of Vandenberg Air Force Base in waist-deep floodwaters near Highway 135 and Harris Grade Road.
The storm is the result of an atmospheric river, or warm plumes of moisture in the air from the Pacific Ocean, which is expected to bring two waves of heavy rain to Southern California through Tuesday evening, weather experts said .
Another storm is expected this weekend, forecasters say.
The second round of Monday’s storm is expected to intensify Tuesday morning before tapering off in the evening. Rainfall amounts could be 0.5 to 1 inch of rain in the coasts and valleys and 1 to 3 inches in the foothills and mountains.
Gusts up to 45 mph are possible in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.
A flood warning was in effect for large sections of Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties Tuesday morning.
High surfing recommendations are in effect until 4 p.m. Tuesday for Ventura, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara beaches, with dangerous high tides and waves reaching 12 feet in some areas.
Urban and small stream flooding is likely, said David Sweet, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
LA County Public Works issued a Phase 2 mudflow forecast for the Fish Fire area near Duarte Monday evening through Tuesday at 8:00 p.m.
Rain and strong winds were spreading across Orange and southwest San Bernardino counties on Monday, along with strong south to southeast winds. Parts of Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties were under a flood watch until Tuesday evening and a wind advisory that it took effect to 4 p.m. Monday extends to 4 p.m. Tuesday in inland and coastal areas of Orange County, according to the National Weather Service in San…