Extraordinary Rainfall Wreaks Havoc on Santa Barbara

••• As the day goes on, we’ll get a better sense of the damage from the storm (and more rain is expected today). In a situation like this, the news moves too fast for a one-person blog to keep up. I will say that I always find Twitter to be the most useful way to follow volatile news: tweeting is far quicker and easier than posting to a website, and it only requires cell service. I strongly suggest you get an account, put the app on your phone, and follow the accounts listed below. (You don’t have to ever tweet a thing, or even look at the app during non-emergency periods.) P.S. The photo at top is of Padaro Lane, courtesy N. The second photo, taken yesterday, is of Montecito Creek at East Valley Road; video does the turbulence more justice, and not only could you hear the boulders rumbling their way down the creek bed, every time one hit the bridge it vibrated.

Here’s a bunch of storm-related news:
—The crazy rainfall totals (16.6″ and counting at San Marcos Pass). —KCLU
—Photos of the flooding. —Edhat and Noozhawk
—Storm-related road closures. —Santa Barbara County Public Works, Santa Barbara Police Department, and KSBY
—The airport is closed till further notice and Amtrak service is suspended. —Edhat
—West Beach is closed due to a sewage spill but you should stay out of the water everywhere for a while. —Edhat
—And these are the Twitter accounts I’d recommend, and feel free to recommend others: @NoozhawkNews, @SBIndyNews, @Edhat, @COSBpublicworks, @KSBY, @JohnPalminteri, @CaltransD5, @NWSLosAngeles, @Newschannel312, @KCLUradio, @KCLUnews, @CountyofSB, @SBCfireinfo, @Montecitofire, @CoastalViewNews, @SBcityoes, @SBcity, @SBincidents

And in other news….

••• “Bicycle Bob’s Closing After Nearly 40 Years […] and the Old Town Goleta shop will become Trek Bicycles in the near future, according to an announcement from husband-and-wife shop owners Bob and Julia Zaratzian.” —Independent

••• “After closing its doors in August of 2022 due to ongoing financial strains, the [Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara] is springing back to life this month under new leadership. […] they have secured initial seed funding and have developed an interim exhibition program for the reopening of the MCASB [and] starting January 22, the museum will be run by volunteers, with gallery hours Thursday to Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. each day, until new staff is hired.” —Independent

••• “Reports of visible oil on Summerland Beach near Lookout Park on Friday have prompted a team from the California State Lands Commission to investigate the area. Passerby began reporting sights of oil directly on the beach, and what looked like an oil slick out on the water.” —Coastal View News

••• Santa Barbara County is trying to use cloud seeding to produce rain. Noozhawk explains: “Super-cooled water droplets or ice particles in storm clouds form on tiny bits of dust or dirt in the atmosphere to create raindrops. While most storms in the county contain abundant moisture, they often lack these bits, known as ‘condensation nuclei.’ Cloud seeding involves spraying silver iodide into the atmosphere—from the ground and from the air—to add condensation nuclei and boost rainfall, potentially by as much as 20%.”

••• Strange story involving former planning commissioner and mayoral candidate Deborah Schwartz and a rug. —Noozhawk

••• “Cuyama Valley airstrip, in Santa Barbara County, is back open after years of disrepair.” —KCLU

••• Heal the Ocean is looking for volunteers to help clean storm debris from the beaches. —Edhat

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