LOS ANGELES — All of Montecito was ordered to immediately evacuate Monday afternoon as a powerful winter storm brought heavy rains, damaging winds and threats of flooding to the already-soaked region.
Parts of the nearby communities of Carpinteria and Summerland, as well as the city of Santa Barbara, were also ordered to evacuate “due to threats to life safety caused by the ongoing storm,” according to the Montecito Fire Protection District.
After a short reprieve, Southern California was facing another set of winter storms Monday, with bursts of heavy rains, damaging winds and threats of flooding, mud and debris flow forecast through Tuesday, leading to evacuation warnings in some areas as residents are advised to remain vigilant of the storm’s growing intensity.
Much of southwestern California was under flood and high wind watches and warnings and high surf warnings Monday morning, according to the National Weather Service, with many of the advisories stretching into Tuesday.
The storm is the latest in a series of atmospheric rivers lashing the Golden State. The most significant impacts will be in Northern California, prompting concerns over flooding and hazardous winds that triggered President Joe Biden to declare an emergency in the state.
But the stream of atmospheric rivers, or warm plumes of airborne moisture from the Pacific Ocean, is also expected to bring two waves of intense rains to Southern California through Tuesday evening, weather experts said. The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center warned of marginal risk of isolated strong to severe thunderstorms late Monday into Tuesday. The center also warned that a threat of brief tornadoes appeared possible.
“This (storm) will be quite strong, very energetic, delivering a lot of rain plus strong gusty winds,” said David Sweet, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
Another storm is likely this weekend, forecasters say.
Light to moderate rain moved into Southern California early Monday morning, with hourly rates of 0.25 inches to 0.75 inches, according to the National Weather Service in Oxnard. The heaviest rain was falling on Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, with reports of roadway flooding and swollen creeks, the weather service said.
Flash flood warnings went into effect in central San Luis Obispo county and in Santa Barbara county on Monday until 4:45 p.m., with residents told to shelter in place. After the warning expires, residents near the Alisal, Cave and Thomas wildfires in Santa Barbara County will be ordered to evacuate, Sheriff Bill Brown said at a news conference. The storm is causing flooding and mudslides across the county, he said. Images shared on the National Weather Service Los Angeles Twitter profile show Refugio Road in the Alisal burn scar area completely flooded.
Flood advisories and a flood watches remained in effect for San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.
The storm is predicted to pick up in intensity Monday afternoon through Tuesday, before tapering off Tuesday evening. Rainfall amounts in Los Angeles County over the next two days are expected to reach 2 to 4 inches along the coast and in coastal valleys and 4 to 8 inches in the foothills and mountains, especially south-facing slopes.
Wind gusts could top 60 mph at the coast and 70 mph in the mountains. Snow levels will likely remain above 7,500 feet. A high wind warning is in effect for San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara County until 10 p.m. Monday, and in Los Angeles County Mountains and Antelope Valley until 7 p.m. Tuesday. A wind advisory goes into effect at noon until 10 p.m. Monday for portions of southwest California, including the Catalina and Santa Barbara Islands; Ventura and Los Angeles counties.
High surf advisories are in effect through 4 p.m. Tuesday for the beaches of Ventura, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, with dangerous rip tides and waves reaching 12 feet in some areas.
Urban and small stream flooding is likely with this storm, Sweet said. He also warned of possible flooding in main rivers, like the Ventura River, and in the Sepulveda Basin, because of higher water levels and saturated soil from previous storms.
Evacuation warnings were issued, beginning at 6 p.m. Monday through 8 p.m. Tuesday, for areas of unincorporated L.A. County near the Lake fire and north end of the Bobcat fire burn scars because of potential for mud or debris flows, according to county officials. The warning includes the Lake Hughes and Kings Canyon areas near the 20000 block of Pine Canyon Road; 18000 block of Ellstree Drive; 46000 block of Kings Canyon Road; 1800 block of Newvale Drive; and the 43000 Block of Lake Hughes Road. The north end of the Bobcat fire warning includes the Juniper Hills and Valyermo areas.
Los Angeles County Public Works issued a Phase 2 mudflow forecast for the Fish fire area from Monday evening to 8 p.m. Tuesday. The area will also be under a yellow alert from 4 p.m. Monday until 6 p.m. Tuesday.
In south Santa Barbara County, residents near the Alisal, Cave and Thomas wildfires were under shelter-in-place orders until 4:45 p.m. Monday because of potential flooding and debris flows. When the shelter-in-place warnings lift, an evacuation order will go into effect, officials said.
The Santa Barbara County Fire Department said at a news conference Monday various agencies stepped up staffing, vehicles and activated rescue patrols in anticipation of heavy rains Monday evening. Mark Hartwig, Santa Barbara County Fire chief, reported downed power lines, trees and at least one rescue in the Refugio canyon area.
Authorities in San Luis Obispo County received calls of fallen trees and rock and mudslides on several roads, the county public works department said in a tweet Monday. About 3,770 residents were without power Wednesday morning, according to Poweroutage.us.
The Los Angeles Department of Transportation closed Mulholland Drive between Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Coldwater Canyon Drive in anticipation of the storm activity, officials with the agency announced Sunday.
Rain and strong winds were spreading into Orange and southwestern San Bernardino counties Monday, along with stronger and gusty south to southeast winds. Parts of Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties were under a flood watch through Tuesday evening, and a wind advisory takes effect 4 p.m. Monday through 4 p.m. Tuesday in the inland and coastal areas of O.C., according to the National Weather Service in San Diego.
Monday’s storm, which weather experts describe as staggered into two stages with the first stage Monday afternoon and then again Tuesday, comes on the heels of a series of weather systems last week in California that pummeled coastal communities and left more than 400,000 without power on Sunday.
The atmospheric river is essentially “draped along the central coast,” slamming the area from Monterey County into Santa Barbara County with the heaviest rainfall, with some downpours extending northeast and southwest, Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA, said.
“This is just the middle of what has already been a very wet and active pattern — and what is expected to be one, really, for at least another week or so,” Swain said.
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(Los Angeles Times staff writer Hayley Smith contributed to this report.)
